Just Joy: C. C. C. Writing Contest Pt.3

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Chapter 3

Jessie gasped as she read it over and over. I didn't think these would be out so soon! She nervously twisted a strand of hair in her fingers. "Where'd you find this?"
"Found it near the road, while coming here." Nick ran his hand through his dark brown hair. "If I were you, I wouldn't risk getting caught trying to get a horse."
"He's not just any horse! Anyways, horses would make our trip faster." Jessie said trying to be practical.
"Maybe, but where will we get the food for him or shelter him? Plus, we wouldn't be able to ride a horse in a forest like this." He emphasized with his hands. Jessie knew he was right.
"Can I just say good-bye to him?" She pleaded with all her might. Anyway, the whole reason for coming here was to get her horse. She heard him sigh loudly, on purpose obviously.
"Fine, but don't tell me I didn't warn you. I'll stay in the forest when we get near the town. You can say your good-byes and come back. Make it fast. My parents will probably be looking for me, too."
"Alright, thanks!" She bit her lip to keep from smiling too big. Jessie was finally going to see her horse!

"Goliath!" Jessie whispered, barely able to keep her voice down as she saw her horse in the distance, trotting around proudly.
"I'll be here when you come back. Leave your backpack so you can walk faster and if anyone comes up to you, don't make eye contact." Nick ordered, scanning to see if anyone was near the forest watching them.
Jessie did as told and flipped the hood of her jacket over her head for a small disguise. She speed-walked into town and tried to look casual.
"Goliath!" Jessie loudly whispered, reaching the paddock. She leaned over the fence near where Goliath was now grazing. He raised his head and his ears pricked up. "Come here, boy!" Jessie loudly whispered again. Goliath nickered and trotted to her. "Good day to you too!" Jessie giggled as Goliath nudged her. Her conscience nagged her to go back to the forest. Just one more minute. Jessie thought, pushing the warning away. "I love you, my friend. Don't ever forget me." Jessie kissed Goliath on the nose, soaking up the last of her moments with him.
"Hey, Kid! What are you doing near my horses!" An older man angrily stomped over as Jessie was turning around.
"Excuse me, but that horse was mine and his name is Goliath!" She shouted back, pointing at Goliath. She was staring squarely in the man's face, her eyes ablaze.
"Wait a second, is this you?" The man held up another "Missing" sheet. Jessie yelled inwardly at herself for being so stupid, out-spoken, and doing what Nick said not to do.
"It is you!" He ripped back Jessie's hood so fast it pulled her hair. "I'm calling- Aagh!" Jessie kicked the man in the kneecap as hard as she dared and climbed over the paddock fence.
"Giddy up, Goliath!" She cried as she mounted abroad the massive horse bareback, before she thought otherwise. They soared over the fence and raced to the forest. Jessie was laughing gleefully as the cool wind stung her cheeks and blew through her wavy hair. She looked back to see the man crouching on the ground holding his knee with one hand and pointing at her with the other, shouting at a policeman.
Jessie hopped off Goliath and walked into the forest. "Nick, where are you?"
"I'm taking precautions." He stood up from behind tall rock. "Unlike you, I see. Do you ever think before you act?" Nick was staring at Goliath.
"Oh, well, it's a long story..."
"I saw mostly everything."
"Well, we should probably get going. There are some policemen that are probably gonna come over soon." Jessie could see in the policeman getting more people in the distance.
"Yeah, we will after you make your horse go back into town. You see, if you keep him you will no longer be a runaway, but a criminal." Nick said flatly.
"Fine." Jessie gave him the stare. She walked over to Goliath, who was staring at her near the forest and kissed him on the nose, once more. "Good-bye, dear friend. I may never see you again." She hit his rump, which made Goliath run back to town.
"Let's go." Jessie swiftly picked up her backpack and started walking. She stared up at the sky to keep from crying.
"Hey, you kids! Stop right there!" A policeman yelled. They were a few yards behind Jessie and Nick, but were catching up.
"We should run." Jessie looked back, worry marked on her face.
"Yeah, go, go, go!!" Nick started sprinting without his backpack. Jessie also threw her backpack on the ground and started sprinting. She jumped on a mossy log and pushed off speeding herself up. Briers stung her legs and branches kept grabbing her hair, pulling at her roots. Nick was right in front of her when all of a sudden he skidded to a stop. Jessie couldn't stop in time and bumped into him making them both stumble.
"Watch it!"
"Payback for bumping into me the first time." Jessie brushed herself off, trying to catch her breath at the same time.
"This isn't funny, look." Nick said, pointing down.
Jessie stuck her tongue out at him, but looked at where he was pointing. "Oh." They were standing at the edge of a ravine with a flowing river beneath. She shuddered. I almost pushed us both down there. The policemen were getting closer.
"We have to jump in there. Like...now!" Nick looked back at her.
"Wait! Shouldn't we think about this?"
"Not this time!" Nick jumped off before Jessie could say another word. The policemen were only a few feet away.
I never liked the idea of jumping off a high ledge. Jessie hesitated for only a second, then leaped off. She let out a shriek and closed her eyes. She gasped when she hit the freezing water, filling her mouth with it. Jessie surfaced and swam to the shore where Nick was waiting. "Oooh, this is bad. We don't have our bags and we are soaked!" Jessie was shivering as she wrung out her hair.
"At least we can walk faster." Nick replied, shivering as well.
"Yeah, but what about food or water?"
"We'll find food on the way and we have water from the river."
"How can you be so optimistic on the verge of death?"
"We aren't on the verge of death." Nick smirked. "We should get going. We can follow the river for now.
"Alright, let's go."

"So, have you found any good berries, yet?" Jessie asked trudging along, her clothes still a little damp. They had been walking for a couple hours, now.
"For the third time, no." Nick answered pushing back a branch as he walked through it. He let go of it just as Jessie was walking through and it smacked her across the face.
"Ow!" Jessie yelped as she covered her eye with her hand.
"Sorry, didn't know you were right behind me."
"Mhm."
"Jessie, look!"
"Sorry, I can't see as I was smacked in the face a few seconds ago." She said sarcastically, but stepped up to where he was.
"It's an old wooden cabin. We can stay there for the night." Nick said rolling his eyes.
"Awesome!" Jessie was jogging towards it, excited to be sleeping in an actual house this time.
"I wouldn't just go inside without checking the perimeter. Someone might live here." Nick warned.
"It's way too old for someone to live in there!" Jessie noted the molding wood and broken windows filled with cobwebs.

Nick hesitated, but Jessie walked in anyway, confident as always. He walked up to the door of the cabin, but didn't go inside just yet. "Jessie?" No answer. He put his ear to the slightly cracked door to see if he could hear anything. Nothing. Nick pulled out his 3 inch blade he kept in his pocket and slowly opened the door, which creaked loudly from old age. All of a sudden, he was kicked in the leg from behind, and stumbled to the ground. His blade slipped from his grasp. He turned around to see a huge man wearing an odd type of helmet and armor. Nick snatched his blade and sliced the man's unprotected hand, as the man was about to grab him. The man didn't even flinch, but held his injured hand as blood was oozing out. Nick quickly scrambled to his feet and started to run when the man grabbed his arm with his bloody hand and hit him in the head with the pommel of his sword. Everything went black.

Jessie gulped for air as she gained conscience. When she walked into the cabin, someone had grabbed her and started choking her until she passed out, making her feel like she forgot how to breathe. Jessie looked around the room she was in. It had dim lighting, from one flickering light bulb. Huh. I would think I would be tied up or something and how is there electricity in an old cabin? Jessie stood up and started walking around the room, which was bigger than she thought. Jessie looked across the room and saw a woman drawing something, her raven hair hanging over her face, like a veil. Scattered around her were dozens of architectural drawings.

"You're finally awake!" The woman didn't look up from the picture she was drawing. Jessie stood there, not knowing what she should do. "Sorry the guys harmed you. They were only trying to protect me."
"Um, where am I? Jessie asked.
"You are in our underground base." She looked up. "Oh, you're just as beautiful as your mother was, Ilene!" The woman's dark eyes twinkled with happiness.
Jessie was now in shock. "My name is Jessie and my mom isn't gone."
"Figures. I should have known Carmay would've changed your name." The woman muttered to herself. "Anyways, my name is Avalon. You can call me Ava in this world. I know you have a lot of questions going through you mind, but I will tell you everything you need to know, later!"
Jessie stood there with her mouth hanging open. "What do you mean 'this world'?"
"As I said, I will tell you everything in due time."
"One more question, do you know where Nick is?" Jessie asked.
"That boy? He is in a cell because we don't know him." You know me, though? The thought swiftly went through Jessie's mind and back out.
"I know him! Please, let him out!" Jessie asked.
"Oh, sure. If he's a friend to you, he's a friend to us! Rayner, go let the boy out of the cell!" She motioned to one of the guards that was standing near the door, whom Jessie has not seen. "Lets go eat supper. You must be starved!"
Jessie followed Ava out into a spacious dining room that was decorated simply with silver plates and a huge portrait of a family dressed in elaborate clothes, almost from another world, it seemed.

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Thanks for reading! It's going to get more interesting now! :D (Sorry it's long again! I'll try to make it a little shorter next time) :P