Lost_n_Found

Lost and Found

“Noooooooooo!!”
He woke up abruptly, panting heavily.
“It was a dream. What a nightmare! I thought I was married!”
The distressed rat wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked down next to himself.
“Gaaaaaa!”
The female cat sleeping next to him woke as he fell out of bed. She looked over the edge of his side and saw him balanced upside down leaning on the bed. He eventually managed to land on the floor. When the brown haired rat peered onto the messy bed with two different colored eyes, their eyes met.
“What are you doing in my bed!?”
“What, you expect me to use the couch?”
The floor bound rat got up, brushed off his red and white striped pj’s and counted off on his fingers, “First of all, who are you?”
The pretty, rusty-blonde haired cat looked hurt then she turned away, back onto her original spot, and began to sob and squeeze her fists.
He leaned on the bed. “What’s the matter?
“You forgot!” she half sobbed out half yelled, angrily.
“What are you talking about? What did I forget?”
“That we’re married!”
Uh, oh. Setback.
“Uh, uh,” He began to panic. “I’m sorry. I’m not good with names. What’s yours?”
She wiped her eyes and calmed down. At least he didn’t run away when he found me like last time, she thought. “Elle,”
“Elle,” he repeated to himself for memory sake. “That’s nice…. Uh, I’m…I’m…” To himself he asked, “Oh, who am I?” Then to her he said, “I’m Megavolt….. Look, I’m sorry, I really am. Maybe I’ll remember.”
“Do you want to look at the wedding pictures again? Maybe that’ll jog your memory?” she said as she rested her cat face on a fist.
“Uh, ok, I’d like that, and if it is true what you say, it just might work.”
She sighed. “Ok.”
Elle went over to the window seat; the first morning rays shining in, and lifted up a very large yellow binder. He got up and went to sit by her and they looked at the pictures, together.

After they were finished Megavolt commented, “It seemed to be a very nice wedding.”
“It was, I don’t know why you don’t remember.”
“Yeah, and being that I was the groom too, … I looked good! I really did, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you do.”
He blushed and looked at the floor, rubbing his neck. She reached over, touched his hand that was on his lap and held it. He looked to her. “Elle? I’m sorry I forgot. I remember now. You always keep me in check. Thanks.” He leaned over and kissed her temple.
“Sure, just as long as we remember we love each other.”
“Right…. So, you want breakfast?”
“Sure.”

Voices came from the darkness of the empty bank. “Honey, hand me the atom splitter, will you?”
“How much longer? I got a bad feeling about this one.”
“I’m almost through the lock….. There! Done!” He snaps the handle
off and the vault easily opens. “Let’s grab the loot and get outta here.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
As they cleared the vault of its wealth, unknowingly, someone stalked outside the vault door. A burst of purple smoke and a voice, “I am the terror that flaps in the night!”
The villains whipped around to see their distraction.
“I am the security guard on the late nigh shift, I, am Darkwiiiiing Daaaaaa!” The good-doer was pushed aside as the thieving pair rushed past.
“You won’t get away that easily!” Darkwing brandished his gas gun and fired, releasing tear gas, making the getaway difficult.
       They coughed and occasionally tripped blindly, still trying to get away. The woman made it to the getaway car and started the engine, waiting for her partner.
“Hurry up, Megavolt!”
“Hold your electrodes, I’m coming!” The brightly dressed rat turned to his pursuer, “Eat this, duck!” and he fired his ray gun at the image in the gas a few times then quickly got in the car.
Darkwing attempted to catch them but the vehicle sped away, dodging the on coming police cars. The disheveled cop cars blocked Darkwing’s pursuit on his vehicle.   He threw down his hat and grumbled.

At Darkwing tower, the main mallard slumped in his computer seat and glared at the “wanted” pictures of Megavolt and his female friend.
“Rough night, DW?” Launchpad asked.
“I don’t know how he does it, LP! Since…. her, I haven’t been able to even get near him!”
“Who is she?”
“I don’t know.” Darkwing said slowly as he rubbed his chin and leaned closer to the screen for a better look at her.
“Hey, Dad, what’s up? Who’s that?!” A spunky red head came into view.
“Megavolt’s partner in crime. And shouldn’t you be doing your homework, little missy?!”
“Yeah, yeah,” She paused to think a moment. “Y’ know, Bushroot’s in jail, you might want to ask him about her.”
“Ha! Like that cowering carnation will cooperate!”
“But DW, it couldn’t hurt to just ask!” said Launchpad.
The masked duck thought a moment. “Alright LP, it couldn’t hurt to ask, could it?”

“NO!! My lips are sealed!” the plant-duck crossed his arms and gave Darkwing his profile.
The caped crusader was getting agitated and rash. Bushroot was getting out in a few minutes. He snatched the collar of the prison suit, through the bars. Bushroot hit his head on the bars as Darkwing brought him beak to beak.
“Now listen you rambunctious renegade radish,” Darkwing hissed through his teeth. “You’re gonna tell me exactly what I want to know, or I’m going to burry you so deep in this prison, you’ll forget what daylight is!” he squints his eyes.
Bushroot gulped hard and said in a tremoring voice, “O, ok, I, I’ll tell you,”

*************************************************************

“Megavolt’s wife!? Since when did he get married?!”
“Well, gee, maybe he met the right girl?”
“Him?! That electrical evader of everlasting edict?! How could anybody fall in love with him?!” The Darkwing thought a moment. “Maybe she’s after his money. After all, women have been known to do that quite frequently!”
“No, I don’t think so, DW. Bushroot talked of them like there was emotion between them. I think it’s real, genuine love.”
“Who has real, genuine love?” came a hopeful feminine voice.
“Morgana! What a pleasant surprise! What brings you to Darkwing tower, my dear?”
“Negaduck is up to no good, as we speak,”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” Darkwing said to himself.
“I mean it Dark! He came to see me at McCobber Manor!”
“What! What did he want?”
“He came to warn me. How odd, for him to warn people.”
“Yeah, that demented duck doesn’t even know what he’s doing anymore!!” Darkwing exclaimed.
“But what did he say, Morgana?” Launchpad asked.
“He was very vague and merely said that something was trouble and there was nothing we could do to stop it from coming. Weird, isn’t it?”
A moment of silence.
“What’s with all the secrecy in this city!!” Darkwing freaked out. “Why doesn’t someone tell me what’s going on?!!”
“Dad! Chill out! You’re gonna get a heart attack if you don’t calm down!” Gosalyn stressed.
“And WHY was Negaduck at YOUR place?! Darkwing demanded.
“Well I guess I’m the only person that knows you and knows where I live!”
“Yeeaaah, right.”

*******************************************************

“Daddy, Daddy?!”
“What is it Tye?”
“Uncle Quackerjack’s here!!!” She ran to the front door and struggled to open it.
When she finally opened it the figures revealed was a jester and his female friend dressed in a flimsy coral dress. Tye flung herself into the jester’s arms.
“Uncle Quackerjack!”
“Hey kiddo, how’re doing?
“Great!”
“Great.” He stands, carrying the girl. “Hey Bushroot.”
“Hey, why’d you stop by?”
He impersonated Mr. Banana Brain, “To say ‘Hi’, Guy.”
Tye grabbed the doll and hugged it. The jester put down the deep brown with a mulberry stripe haired girl and she ran off to her room with his property. “And besides, don’t be in such a snit. It gives the youngsters the ‘wrong impression when you have violent intentions’.”
“Oh! Quackerjack, hi,” a disheveled wife wondered into the room.
“Hey Mai. How’s it going? You two getting along fine?” he said as if implying something.
The blonde standing at the front door finally speaks up, “Why wouldn’t they?” she asked confused.
“Oh I don’t know. Just a thought, just asking, choose your pick.”
Hey, what is this, a villain reunion?!” just then Megavolt walked to the open door.
“Quick! Close the door before Negaduck decides to drop by!” Mai joked. Ja Tarra proceeded to close the door behind her and everyone migrated to the living room.
“So,” the cream yellow cat began and interrupted the silence. “How’ve you been?”
The plant duck leaned forward in his seat, clasping his leafy hands and said, “We’ve been great! How about you two?” he said with a hint of sneakiness in his voice.
The two villains Megavolt and Ja Tarra had not been married for a long time and even survived a short divorce. They eyed each other cautiously then decided to answer, “Well, someone’s had a little memory problem, but nothing serious.”
“Oh!” Mai exclaimed.
“Only that? That’s AWFULL!!” Quackerjack yelled. “C’mon, Megs, get with it! Exercise those memory synapse!”
“Sorry, ok!!?,” the rat snapped. Ja Tarra rubbed the back of her lover.
Bushroot commented, “I heard that you two have a near miss when Darkwing showed up. You get away alright?”
“Yeah. No slip ups. Negaduck would be proud!” Ja Tarra said proudly.
“ Nah! More like mildly impressed!” he husband corrected.
“He’d probably find something else to complain about.” Quackerjack added.
Tye wandered into the room with an armful of stuffed animals and Mr. Banana Brain. She dropped them all and proceeded to sit down and organize them so they could listen in on the conversation.
“Oh, so, who you got there?” Quackerjack asked. Tye introduced everyone and put Mr. Banana Brain on Quackerjack’s lap and told him not to touch the doll because it was naptime. Everyone thought she was so cute.
“Heh, not bad for a mutant plant duck, huh?!”

*******************************************************

“Well, I think that went exceptionally well, don’t you, sugarplum?” the plant scientist asked his wife.
“Yeah, considering that they’re still villains…..” She got quiet all of a sudden, thinking about not too far back when her own husband was in jail. Bushroot knew that she was thinking this.
“Awe, sweetie, don’t look at me like that! It was all a misconception! I…..” She walked away without letting him continue. He caught up with her, spun her around and held her fast. “Sweet potato, honestly it wasn’t my fault. They blamed me for breaking a storefront window when I didn’t and I wasn’t even around when it happened! Honest!”
“I believe you.” she said simply.
“Oh.” He paused. “Well as long as you don’t blame me for anything.” his thought wandered.
Mai put her hands on the kitchen counter and haunched over it. A feeling of dred filled the room.
“Honey?” Reginald asked, concerned.
“I have to tell you something, darling,”
He walked over to her and comforted her, softly. “What is it?”
She was hesitant to say anything or to even to look at him.
“You can tell me. I won’t get mad.” he assured.
“I’m going to have a baby.” Mai said softly.
“Really?!” He felt as he would almost faint with shock and happiness all at the same time. Then a thought came to mind, “Did you tell Tye?”
“No, not yet.”
“Tell me what?” came a sweet voice. “Is it something bad? Did I do something wrong? What?”
The parents gave each other a glance and the girl’s father went over to her and knelt down. “Honey, Mommy’s going to have a baby.”
It seemed that his daughter didn’t understand what he said, for she had cocked her head to one side. He thought that rephrasing would help, “You’re going to have a little brother or sister!”
She must have been in shock because she still didn’t answer. Instead, Reginald pulled his daughter close and hugged her tenderly. “I love you sweetheart. Nothing will change that.”
“Daddy, what are you talking about? I know you love me.”
“Well, being that there will be a new addition to the family, Mommy’s and my attention will all be on your sibling to take care of it. I think that you will feel left out and alone, that’s why I said that. Understand?”
“I think so, Daddy.” She nodded exaggeratedly.
“Ok sweetheart,” He stood up and looked down at her. “Why don’t you go get ready for bed and I’ll read you a bedtime story after you’re finished, ok?”
“Okay!!” Tye ran off to get herself ready.
He folded his arms in front of him and looked thoughtfully in the direction that his daughter left.   “Well,” Bushroot said like some burden was lifted. “That went well, don’t you think?”
“Maybe too well?”
He looked over to her quizzically. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that one day she’ll hate the idea of a kid sibling and could very well hold it against us,” she worried.
Reginald walked over to his wife. “No, I don’t think so.” He gave her a puzzled look. Mai then thought about it, “Maybe she’s too much like you, dearest?”
“Oh, yeah, I suppose.” Reginald rubbed the back of his neck and his wife got up on her tippy toes to kiss him on his cheek.
“But then again, Mai, I AM an only child! I don’t know how this works!”
“Well I was number 3 of 6. And at that point, having a child is like just another day at the office. You can’t imagine how many more died before they were a year old!”
“Aw geez! That must have been hard on your family.”
“Well, I WAS living in Mexico at the time.”

**************************************************

“Megavolt, honey? Where are you? Are you even here? If you aren’t then, why am I talking to myself? Mortimer! What are you doing home?!” Ja Tarra slapped her forehead. “Why am I talking to a light bulb? Sorry, Mortimer, geez!” She looked around and found a letter under a very large magnet on the refrigerator. It read:

Dearest, Elle,
      I just went out for a few things. I’ll be back soon, hopefully. Anyway, love you and I’ll see you for diner. How about we have that veggie pizza you were raving about?
Love,
….Elmo
   Elle could tell that her husband had to think about whom to sign because the dots were where he tapped the paper, in thought. “Aw, he’s so cute.” She cooed.
Then she heard a car zoom closer and skid to a stop out side, then heard a car door slam and someone unlocking the door to the lighthouse.
“Elle?”
“I’m up here, Dr. Ohm!” Elle called, jokingly back.
“Ha, ha, very funny.” Megavolt came padding up the staircase. “Whoa!” Elle had leapt into the electric villain’s arms and hugged him. “Okay, okay, lemme breath!” he wheezed out. “Ooh, someone missed me.” Megavolt said, taking her hands in his and half closing his eyes.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I, my little electrode.”
The psychotic super villain chuckled and they cuddled for a second. “Ya wanna take this upstairs, darling?”
“Oh you bad boy, you.”
He said proudly, getting totally off the subject. “I know I am. That’s why I’m Public Enemy Number Three!”
“Sure, let’s go.”
“Uh, where?”
“Upstairs,”
“Why would we want to do that?”
Elle looked at no one incredulously. “Never mind.” Taking his hand, she led him the beat up couch and they sat down.
“So what about dinner? I’m half starved into the next physical state!”
“Ok, ok! Geez! I just got home!” She got up to go to the makeshift kitchen to make diner.
He went into another room and shut the door half way.
“How was work dear?” Elle called.
“Oh, just peachy!” Megavolt said sarcastically. “We all got yelled at because Liqui tripped on Quacky and both fell into me!”
“Oh my god, are you all right?!” she asked concerned, knowing that Megs had probably shorted out with that collision.
“Yeah, I’m fine. All that’s hurt is my pride.” He stepped out of the room clad in a bathrobe and plopped down on the couch to watch the TV, digging out the remote from the depths of the cushins. Before he even thought about turning it on he asked his wife, “Uh, Elle?”
“What?”
“Did you get the TV fixed like I asked you?”
“Yeah, I got it fixed just as you asked.” She rolled her eyes.
“Oh, alright. Just checking. Thanks.”
“Sure.”
“Cause, you know, I hate it when it rebels and attempts to take over the world.” He pressed a button on the remote that he made, and the TV turned on, broadcasting pictures of the events that he did earlier that day.
“Dear, why do you always review what you do every day?” Elle asked. Her question was futile because he had drifted off to sleep. “Oh, the poor dear.” She stopped what she was doing and sat down next to him and cuddled with the sleeping body. Whispering in his ear she said, “I love you.” He chuckled in his sleep then continued to breath through his mouth. Elle kissed his cheek and started to get up to continue cooking, but the sleeping rat grabbed her and held on. She was forced to lie there being held close, her husband slouching on the couch, sleeping. If you came in and seen them you’d think that they were uncomfortable the way they were sitting.
Elle had to wake him up so that they would be able to eat later.
“Huh? Whatsap?” the tired villain asked.
“I have to make dinner, dear, let me up, k?” she cooed to him.
“Mmmm, okay,” he moaned then he went back to sleep.
“Cutie,” She turned off the TV to save them money to their electric bill, which they never paid, but better to save them the hassle of paying more.

Later, when dinner was ready Elle was forced to wake her husband up.
“Honey, want dinner?”
“What? Uh, sure,” He began to stagger to his feet but then his wife brought him dinner to where he was so he stayed where he was. “Oh you’re so good to me,” he commented. She sat down next to him with her own plate. “I know. And you deserve it,” They smiled at each other and he leaned close to her to kiss her. In fact they kissed for quite a while, then broke and smiled at each other again.
“So, let’s see if I’ll stay awake for the evening news,” Megavolt said as he dug for the remote again and switched on the TV again. The box reported, “There was a terrible four car accident just outside St. Canard. A van was out of control and slammed into a car in the oncoming lane and the car behind it slammed into the trunk and yet another behind that one swerved only to hit the van,”
“Oh, my god,” Ja Tarra said, in disgust as she leaned forward in awe at the pictures. The TV continued to report, “No casualties have been reported, although, the van and first car to be hit has no passengers. It is thought the any who were in it were ejected from the car and are currently missing.”
All of a sudden there came a banging at the lighthouse door. Ja Tarra got up to answer it, still looking at the TV. Her husband was also, except he started to slowly eat his homemade veggie pizza.
At the door Mai dropped herself into Ja Tarra’s arms, crying and said, “That was my husband’s car!!”
“Alright, just come inside,” Ja Tarra led her in and carefully up the stairs.
“Who was it, my iridescent light bulb?” Megavolt asked romantically, almost about to take a bite of pizza. He turned to see his wife guiding Bushroot’s sobbing wife. He took a bite and said impolitely with a full mouth “Wha happen?!” Then he commented after he swallowed, “Good pizza, darling,”
“Sssh! This is serious!” she said annoyed at her husband. “Now tell me what happened Mai,”
“Th, the car that was f, first hit, it, it, it, it was Reggie’s!!!”
“Oh god,” Ja Tarra held Mai to comfort her as she sobbed ceasingly. Now Megavolt was interested in the conversation and muted the TV. Mai cared to explain why she came to them. “I, I came here because I can trust you two more than anyone!”
“Thanks,” Megavolt said.
Ja Tarra ignored him and asked Mai, “So, what do you want to do?”
“Why a, are you so calm?!? My husband and daughter were in an accident!!!!”
“Oh, Tye too?!”
Mai nodded at the rat.
“Well, we’re so calm about it because Reggie always grows back,” Ja Tarra explained.
“But what about my little girl??!”
“Uh, probably her too because she’s a Bushroot,” Megavolt comforted.
“I have an idea Mai,” the cat began. “How about the three of us go out and look for them, k?”
She nodded her head in response.
“Alright, we’ll start at the scene of the accident.”

Three people were out in the dark of the night looking for Mai’s family members. Around 11 pm they were searching in the depths of the forest. All of a sudden Mai collided with something and fell. She heard something else fall and when she got up she was face to face with Dr. Reginald Bushroot. Of course she didn’t know this at first and she screamed. He screamed as well as they scared each other. When they calmed down they looked at each other closer. “Reggie??”!!
“Mai??!!”
They were immediately in each other’s arms. “What happened?!” Mai questioned.
“A van swerved and hit us. I think it was intentional too,”
“Why?”
“Nothing was the matter with the vehicle until it got close enough.”
“Where’s Tye??!!”
“That’s what I’m out here doing!! I’m looking for her!! After I opened my eyes, she was gone!! I’m either guessing that she ran off to get help or someone took her!!” he said worriedly.
“Oh my god,”
“I’ve been looking for her since the accident, and I’m afraid that I’ll never find her!” his eyes teared up.
“Oh darling,” Mai took him in her arms as he sobbed.
“Well look who we found!” Megavolt said.
“Sssh!” Ja Tarra smacked his arm as they watched the other couple.
“Did you find her??!” Reggie asked hopefully.
“No, just you two,” Megavolt explained.
“Oh,” the plant duck said sadly.
“Sometimes you’re no help at all dear,” Ja Tarra admitted to her husband.
“Well sorry if I want to lighten the mood!”
“You’re forgiven,”
Megavolt looked at his wife cockeyed. She just sometimes is so inconsistent!

They all headed back to the Bushroot residence and reported to the police about Tye missing. “I can’t believe that I’m going to ask them for help!” Reggie commented. The police said that they would try to help but didn’t know if it would help. Reggie, after hanging up the phone held his head in his hands. Mai gingerly sat beside her ailing husband, put her arm around him and cried with him. Megavolt and Ja Tarra stayed with the other couple for the whole night to support them and help out.

The next morning they went out looking for Tye again, this time Bushroot asked some plants. They got further this time; Ja Tarra packed a lunch for everyone so they could search all day. Everyone followed the path that Reggie was taking because the plants said that is where Tye went. It was late when they lost the path. Tye must have been kidnapped because her trail led away from St. Canard and the path ended at a highway with no trees to ask! The search team headed back home, dismayed and upset.
“Oh now we’ll never find Tye!!” Reggie sobbed.

*************************************************************

Nine months later, and much grieving and joy, Reginald Bushroot’s second child was born. It was a boy! They named him Ean Red-Wood Bushroot. “He’s so wonderful!” Bushroot breathed in awe.
“Just like his father,” Mai commented. Reggie smiled. “He’s got your beak, dear,” Mai noticed.
“Yeah, but he has your eyes.” Smiling, they had tears in their eyes; missing Tye.
“Dear, we outta forget about Tye.” Reggie said sadly.
“I know.”
“I’m sorry, but if we can’t find her, then she’s lost for good,”
“Yeah,” Mai began to tear up. “I just can’t help but think what could have happened to her!”
“I know,” He took her into his arms and held her comfortingly, even though he needed someone to do the same for him.
The Bushroots’ had help from the Sputtersparks’ and Quackerjack to pack away Tye’s things and hide them away in the attic.
“Well, that’s the last of it. You two going to be alright?” Quackerjack asked.
“No, but we’ll survive,” Reggie said.
“Well, you just remember that we’re here for you.” Ja Tarra comforted.
“Thanks.”
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.” she added.
“If you need a shoulder to cry on, pick somebody else!” Megavolt said.

In the gloom of loss, there were sunny days as Reginald Bushroot’s family grew. There was Ean, then four years later there were twin girls, Oliandra and Lang. Don’t ask why Mai named one of the twins Lang. It’s Japanese, but she has to live with it!!
Other families grew too. The Sputtersparks had a daughter, Tory, and another daughter died soon after birth. Negaduck had three children, two boys and a girl. Quackerjack brutally dumped Baby and that same day she met The Liquidator.
A month shy of twenty years after the tragic loss of the Bushroot’s daughter, Tye, there came a knock at their door.
“I wonder whom that could be!!” commented the green duck.
“Geez, Dad! What are you? A walking dictionary?! No one used that word anymore!”
“Oh lighten up Ean!”
“Wha? You in ‘the groove’ too??! Wake up! This is the twenty first century!!”
Reginald ignored his twenty year old son and went for the front door. He opened it and there stood this beautiful woman with long dark hair and a…mulberry stripe, draped over her beak. A beak which seemed so familiar as if he’d seen it in the mirror. Her eyes were…his wife’s…but that cold blue that belonged to him… His wife’s facial features… Mulberry stripe. He started to tear up.
“Daddy? I’m home,”
All at once he snatched her up, cried uncontrollably and hugged her almost too tightly.
Mai walked in the room, hearing her husband’s crying. “Reggie? Are you…” She spotted the woman he was hugging. All at once, Mai started crying and ran up to her and hugged her with her husband. Even the young woman was crying.
The three children came into view and found their parents hugging this stranger, whom had the biggest rose you’d ever seen being squeezed at the stem. They looked at her face and saw a familiar plant coloring, just as the twins have. “What’s going one around here??!!” Ean demanded.
The parents loosened their grip long enough to look at their long lost daughter then went into another hugging fit.
“Oh my god, I thought we’d lost you forever, Tye!”
“I thought I lost you too,”
Eternity passed as half the family hugged and the other half stood there, dumbfounded. Eventually, the parents stopped long enough to look at Tye. Reginald said, “Oh my god, you are beautiful,”
“Heh, thanks to you and Mom,”
Reggie looked to his wife, teared up and hugged Tye.

“Daddy, what ever happened to…Uncle…Jack?” Tye dug up from her memory.
“Quackerjack??!”
“Yeah! That’s it!”
“Right here!” came a voice from thin air. From a flash of green and yellow light came a duck with shoulder blade length orange hair. He was taken back by this beauty standing before him. He looked closer and recognized the hair, the eyes and the bill, but the age is what threw him off. “Tye??!!”
She over exaggeratedly nodded her head, thrilled by this new discovery of hers. At first Quacky was shocked, but then a toothy smile grew on his face. “My god you’re beautiful!!”
“Oh,” she shyed away.
“Huh. Hey Reggie! Wanna betrove you daughter to my son?”
“Quacky!! Shut up!!”
“Hey! Why not?!”
“You’re a damned demon!”
“So?! We could have a demon beauty contest!”
“I DON’T think so!!”
The demon exclaimed, “My goodness, Tye! I thought I’d never see you again!! How nice to see you found your way back home!!”
“I was rather lucky, I guess,”
The proud father commented, “Most kidnapped children end up dead, dear,”
“Oh. Well I guess I am very lucky, huh?”
“Definitely!”
The demon asked, “So, what happened to you all those years ago?”
Tye began her life story of 24 years, her mother still holding her as they sat to listen. “I remember the car crash, Daddy,”
Reginald got glum. “So do I,”
“I was taken and rushed away before the emergency vehicles got there and it so happened that they sold me to a circus!! I think it was a planned kidnapping!”
“YOU WERE SOLD TO A CIRCUS???!!!!” the father exclaimed.
“Yes,” Tye said sadly. “I had no choice. But once at the circus, they treated me relatively well. Not as well as parents. More like slave owners, but prized what people they had.”
“Uh huh?”
“So, they first used me like a sideshow entertainment until I got older to do tricks. I was taught how to tightrope walk, juggle, and do all sorts of tricks!”
“When did they let you out, Tye? Did you escape?” asked the concerned mother.
“Consider this a type of shore leave. They’re expecting me back in a few hours. But I won’t go. I’m home now!! My real home!”
The parents’ hugged their daughter, lovingly.
The demon duck, Jack asked, “Are you sure you won’t consider betrothing your daughter to my son, Reg?”
Jack got a punch from the plant duck.