Chapter 4 - Keith Douglas

The heroes get trapped in a book and the missionaries get kidnapped

Alex said, "So, what should we do now?"

Elder Elder said, "We should probably go to bed."

Max said, "I'm hungry again."

Jeorgar said, "I'm full."

Elder Elder said, "Alright then. Time for bed."

Alex said, "Goodnight everyone!"

They all said, "Goodnight!"

***

After sleeping for a few hours, Alex woke up and checked his pocket watch. It was 4:30 PM. He went outside and played with his dog, Max. He saw that there were a lot of people in the street playing football, soccer, baseball, and other sports. Alex said, "I wonder how they do that. They seem to move around really fast." Max said, "Do what?" Alex said, "Move around so fast. They must have some sort of magic powers."

***

After lunch, Alex wanted to talk to his friend Fenrir the werewolf about his job. He thought that he could give him some advice on what to do with Karen Sylvia. Alex's friend picked up on the third ring. He said, "Hello?"

Alex said, "Hey Fenrir. How are you?"

Fenrir said "I'm fine. Good to hear from you." Alex said, "Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you about your job. What do you do at the grocery store?"

Fenrir said, "Pushcarts."

Alex said, "That's cool. Do you like your job?"

Fenrir said, "I do. Why?"

Alex said, "Well, I also work a job at Giggling Smile Supermarket. I also push carts. But there's something I want to ask you about"

Fenrir said, "I'm glad you asked me first. I wanted to ask you something too!"

Alex said, "Go ahead."

Fenrir said, "Do you know how to get someone fired?"

Alex said, "Of course."

Fenrir said, "Great, I need to do that to someone."

Alex said, "If you tell me who, I'll try to help you get her fired."

Fenrir said, "Who do I have to fire?"

Alex said, "Do you know Karen Sylvia?"

Fenrir said, "Yeah. She's my job coach."

Alex said, "I'll help you if you help me."

Fenrir said, "Deal!"

Alex said, "Okay.

So both of them went to an agency where unemployed job coaches went to get clients and summited papers to get a new job coach to replace Karen Sylvia with. The manager of the agency was a man named Mr. Smith. He said "Hello. May I help you?"

Alex said, "Yes sir. I'd like to get a new job coach because my old one is trying to get me fired. Her name is Karen Sylvia."

Mr. Smith said, "Oh yeah. Karen. Yeah. She's a real piece of work. I'm sorry she's trying to screw you over, but what can I do to help you?"

"I'm concerned that she made me get written up and I need help removing the strike against me," said Alex

"We can help you with that," said Mr. Smith.

Alex said, "Thank you very much."

He gave Alex the option of getting rid of Karen by getting her fired by making her quit. and Alex went with it.

Alex thought for a second and said, "Wait. I think I have a better idea."

Mr. Smith said, "What do you mean?"

Alex said, "You see when I got hired at Giggling Smile Supermarket, I was told that there was no chance of getting fired. They promised me that if I did everything right, they would never fire me. They also said that I would always have enough money to pay my bills and buy food."

Mr. Smith said, "Okay."

Alex said, "But I recently found out that they lied. They told me that I would make more than enough money to take care of myself without any problems."

Mr. Smith said, "Okay."

Alex said, "Now I realize that this job doesn't pay well enough to support my lifestyle. I'm making barely enough to pay for rent, utilities, and gas. So I'd like to ask for a raise. If you give me a raise, I won't have to worry about being fired."

Mr. Smith said, "Okay. Let me check the records. Oh yeah. You're right. You haven't gotten a raise in two years. We'll bump you up to $14 per hour."

Alex said, "Thank you!"

***

After Alex's conversation with Mr. Smith, he talked to his friend Cedar the Bear about getting a raise. He saw that Cedar the Bear was cooking dinner. He thought to himself, 'Wow! I wonder how he makes food without electricity!' He walked inside and sat down at the table. Cedar walked over and said, "Hey Alex! How was your day?"

Alex said, "It was great. Thanks for asking."

Cedar said, "No problem. Are you hungry?"

Alex said, "Yes, I am!"

Cedar said, "Great! Here's dinner!"

He handed Alex a plate with a bowl of rice on it. The top of the bowl was covered with a lid. He pulled off the cover and smelled the contents. They smelled delicious! Cedar said, "Try it!"

Alex said, "You bet!"

He ate every single bite of it! When he was done, he said, "Thanks, Cedar! This was amazing."

Cedar said, "No problem. I'm glad you liked it!"

Alex said, "Can I have another serving?"

Cedar said, "Of course."

Alex said, "Thank you!"

Cedar said, "You're welcome!"

Alex said, "Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

Cedar said, "Actually, yes. There is something that I want to tell you but I feel like I need to bring it up in a better place."

Alex said, "Where would that be?"

Cedar said, "Let's go outside."

Alex said, "All right."

They walked out of the house and went to the backyard. There was nothing but trees around them. Alex looked at Cedar and said, "So, what is it? Do you want to kill a tree?"

Cedar said, "No. I actually want to talk to you about an important topic."

Alex said, "Oh yeah? What is it?"

Cedar said, "I know that it's kind of weird for us to be hanging out so much together, but I would like it if we could hang out even more often."

Alex said, "Why?"

Cedar said, "Because I think that you're a cool guy and I enjoy spending time with you!"

Alex said, "Me too! I think you're super cool too."

Cedar said, "So, what do you think?"

"as long as we only have a close bromance and don't cross any lines, I'm up for it," said Alex

Cedar said, "Awesome! I'm glad that you're up for it. I wanted to do this because I like hanging out with you too! I can't wait to see you tomorrow!"

"Me neither! I can't wait for tomorrow! See you then!"

***

When Alex woke up, he checked his pocket watch. It was 9:00 AM. He went downstairs and took a shower. Afterward, he went into the kitchen and saw Cedar making breakfast. He said, "Good morning!"

Cedar said, "Good morning! What's up?"

Alex said, "I'm hungry. Could I have some breakfast?"

Cedar said, "Sure thing. Here you go!"

He gave Alex a plate with eggs on it. He ate the entire thing except for the yolk.

Cedar also made breakfast for Max the dog, Jeorgar the Dragon, Fenrir the werewolf, Argo the baby, and Elder Elder and Elder Jackson the missionaries

***

After eating breakfast, Alex went outside to play with his dog, Max. He ran around with him while he threw the ball. Alex thought to himself, 'I wonder how many times I can throw it before it gets tiring.'

He kept throwing it for a few minutes until he got tired. Alex said, "Okay Max, time to go back inside."

Max said, "Okay."

As soon as they were back inside, Alex went upstairs to get dressed for work. He put on his blue tunic, tan trousers, and leather boots, and left for work.

While he was walking through town, Alex thought about Fenrir the werewolf. He wondered if he had gotten fired yet. He hoped he didn't.

Alex arrived at work and went inside to get started with his shift. Mr. Smith said, "How's it going, Alex?"

Alex said, "Hi Mr. Smith! I'm doing great! Thanks for asking!"

Mr. Smith said, "Good to hear! Welcome to Giggling Smile Supermarket. Take a seat and let's get you set up with a job coach."

Alex said, "Okay!"

Mr. Smith said, "So, what kind of job coach do you need?"

Alex said, "Um... I guess someone with experience working with autistic people."

Mr. Smith said, "Alright. Let me find you a good one."

After a few seconds, Mr. Smith said, "Here's one for you."

Alex said, "Thanks!"

Mr. Smith said, "You're welcome."

Alex said, "Okay. How much will this cost me?"

Mr. Smith said, "One credit."

Alex said, "Okay. I'll take her."

Mr. Smith said, "Okay. I'll show you to your new job coach."

Alex followed him to a small office where he met his new job coach, Linda the Elf. She was a tall elf with green skin, pointed ears, and red hair. She wore a green tunic, black trousers, and white boots. On her belt, she carried a sword that looked like a mace crossed with a short sword. She said, "Hi Alex. My name is Linda, and I'll be your job coach from now on."

Alex said, "Nice to meet you."

Linda said, "Likewise. Now, let's get started."

She asked Alex how she could help him, and he said" "I'm having trouble finding a way to earn enough money to pay my bills."

Linda said, "Well, I think I can help you with that. In order to keep your job here, you'll need to make sure you come in every day on time and do your job. That means Pushing carts and doing carry-outs Is that okay?"

Alex said, "Yeah. I can manage that."

Linda said, "Excellent. I'm glad to hear it."

She gave Alex a schedule that she made for him. It showed him what time to arrive at work every morning and what time to leave work every afternoon. It also listed what days he would have to work. She said, "This will be your schedule for the next two weeks."

Alex said, "Thank you!"

Linda said, "No problem."

She helped him get set up with a cart, a bag of infinite storage, and a shortsword. Then she said, "There are things that you should know about our store. First of all, we have a lot of products. Therefore, you might sometimes forget where certain items are located. If that happens, just ask someone for assistance. Also, don't forget to clean up after yourself. All you have to do is pick up trash and sweep the floors. That shouldn't be hard at all."

Alex said, "Okay. I understand."

Alex began to push carts with the cart-pushing machine. He entered a cart corral and hit the door that said on it "Other side please" It made the cart corral hit the vehicle of an MLM Boss lady's vehicle while the mule ran over his right foot. It was a painful experience but it went away after a minute or two of pain.

A customer came up to Alex and said, "Excuse me! Do you have any spare change?"

Alex said, "No."

The customer said, "Okay. Have a nice day! Bye!"

Alex said, "Bye!"

Afterward, Alex got a call from Cedar the Bear saying, "Hey Alex! Is everything alright?"

Alex said, "Everything is fine! Thank you for asking!"

Cedar said, "No problem. By the way, did you get a chance to eat?"

Alex said, "Yes I did! Thanks for asking!"

Cedar said, "No problem. Are you still working?"

Alex said, "Yep! I'm not done yet."

Cedar said, "That's cool! Well, I gotta run. I'll see you tomorrow!"

Alex said, "See you then."

After talking to Cedar, Alex went to work. He continued pushing carts until it was time to clock out. Mr. Smith clocked Alex out and told him, "Have a good night!"

Alex said, "Thanks! I'll see you tomorrow!"

He walked home feeling tired from all of the work. He took a shower to relax and then he fell asleep.

***

Alex woke up to the sound of his alarm. He looked at his pocket watch. It was 7:45 AM. He went downstairs and saw Cedar making breakfast. He sat down and ate it like he had the night before. After his meal, he went upstairs to get ready for work. on the crystal display that worked like a TV, a news broadcaster said, "Good morning! I'm your local news anchor, Camille."

Camille said, "Hello everyone. Today, we have the latest on the case surrounding the disappearance of Elder Elder and Elder Jackson. As you may already know, they were last seen at a gas station in the city of Penship City, Kreyitis Kingdom."

Alex thought, 'I hope they're okay.'

Camille said, "Police are investigating the disappearance of these two men, but they have been unable to find any leads. Police continue their search. If anyone has information regarding the whereabouts of these two men, please contact the police department immediately."

Alex thought, 'I hope they're okay too.'

Alex turned off the TV and left for work.

***

Alex arrived at work and got set up with a cart. He pushed it around the store to pick up trash and sweep the floors. He completed both tasks before it was time to clock out. Alex went to the restroom and brushed his teeth. When he was done, he went outside to check the mailbox.

Alex opened the mailbox and found a letter that said, Dear Alex,

We are writing to inform you that you've won the grand prize drawing for the Giggling Smile Supermarket Sweepstakes! Please collect your prize at the register. You can receive your prize after completing your shift.

Congratulations again, Alex!

We hope you enjoy your prize.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Smith

Alex said, "Huh? I won something?"

Alex read the letter and thought, 'Wow! This is really cool!'

He checked his pocket watch and saw that it was 10:00 AM. He went to the office and saw Mr. Smith there. He said, "Hi Mr. Smith! Are you here to give me my prize?"

Mr. Smith said, "Of course! Come with me!"

They went to the register and Mr. Smith took Alex's prize. He said, "Here you go! Congratulations!"

Alex said, "Thanks!"

Mr. Smith said, "Are you excited about winning?"

Alex said, "Yes! Thank you! I'm glad I won."

Mr. Smith said, "Good! Enjoy your prize!"

Afterward, Alex went back to work to finish his shift. He continued to push carts and do carry-outs until it was time to clock out.

***

Meanwhile, Linda the Elf helped talk to the right people to get Karen Sylvia fired

***

Alex arrived home from work to find a big box waiting for him at the front door. He picked it up and carried it inside. He took off his boots and put them by the shoe rack. Then he opened the box and saw a bunch of boxes inside of it. There were five of them in total. They were made of wood. Inside one of them, he saw a book with a picture of a teen hugging a wolf on the cover. The title of the book was, 'Valdis's Story.' Alex thought, 'Oh man! I'm so excited!'

He took the books out of the box and put them on the coffee table. Then he took the box back outside and hid it behind some bushes. He put the box in a plastic bag and placed it inside of a backpack. Alex went back inside and saw Cedar standing there watching the knockoff TV.

Cedar said, "Hi Alex! How'd you do today?"

Alex said, "I'm great! Thanks for asking!"

Cedar said, "Good to hear! By the way, I made dinner. Would you like to eat it with me?"

Alex said, "Sure! That sounds great!"

After eating, Alex and Cedar talked together. They talked about their day and other stuff. Afterwards, Alex went to bed.

***

Having been fired from her job at Giggling Smile Supermarket, Karen Sylvia went to the local Anti-Mormon group and decided to join their group. They told her about a protest going on at the church that day. She joined the protest, and there, she met a handsome young man named Valdis. He was a friendly fellow who looked like an adult human male with an unsettling grin. She invited him to join the protest. He agreed to do so, and the two of them went to the church together. Karen thought, 'I sure hope this works out.'

***

Karen and Valdis stood in front of the sign that said 'Church of Heavenly Hope' as a few more people joined their group. The members of the anti-mormon group chanted, 'Out with the Mormons!' to a chorus of 'Hear, hear!' from the protesters.

After the chanting ended, Karen said, "Why are we protesting here?"

Valdis said, "Because this is the church where the false missionaries, Elder Elder, and Elder Jackson were last seen."

Karen said, "I see... How did they disappear?"

Valdis said, "Nobody knows. Their car was found abandoned in a parking lot near here. Since then, they haven't been heard from."

Karen said, "What if they're not dead?"

Valdis said, "Well, we can only hope. I think the best thing to do is pray for them."

After the prayer, Karen said, "Okay. Let's go inside and pray!"

Inside the building, they prayed to Heavenly Father. Afterward, they went back outside. Valdis said, "Let's go home now. We have to go meet up with our friends."

Karen said, "Okay."

They walked home together. They were stopped by a police officer. The officer asked them questions about why they were there. Karen and Valdis explained what happened. The officer let them go without giving them a ticket.

***

Alex went to bed after a long day of work. He slept through the night and woke up the next morning. He took a shower and ate breakfast. He went to the kitchen to make himself some tea when he spotted a letter on top of his mailbox. He opened it and saw a letter that said, Dear Alex,

We are writing to inform you that you've won the grand prize drawing for the Giggling Smile Supermarket Sweepstakes! Please collect your prize at the register. You can receive your prize after completing your shift.

Congratulations again, Alex!

We hope you enjoy your prize.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Smith

Alex said, "Huh? I won something again?"

Alex opened the letter and read it. He thought, 'This is really cool!' He went inside and called Cedar. He said, "Hey Cedar! Did you know that I won another contest?"

Cedar said, "No I didn't! Congrats! What did you win?"

Alex said, "I won a book!"

Cedar said, "Cool! Where'd you get it?"

Alex said, "It's in the backyard. I hid it behind the bushes."

Cedar said, "Where's that?"

Alex said, "Behind the bushes."

Cedar said, "I'll come over later. Be there!"

After hanging up, Alex went outside to retrieve his prize. He found the book and brought it inside. He opened the book and saw that it was a novel titled, 'Valdis's Story.' He sat down on the couch and started reading. He couldn't stop reading the book because he was so interested in what happened to Jacky and Wolfie. After finishing the book, Alex was sad to learn that Valdis won. and had planned on meeting another person named Alex, who he wanted to make a deal with. He hoped he would see Alex soon.

***

Karen went to the meeting room of the Anti-Mormon group and waited for the rest of the group to arrive. One of the members came in and sat down beside her. She said, "Welcome, Karen. I'm Michael."

Karen said, "Hello, Michael. I'm Karen."

Michael said, "Do you have any plans for getting rid of Alex working at Giggling Smile Supermarket?"

Karen said, "Yeah. I'm planning on using our new member, Valdis, to do it."

Michael said, "That's smart! I'm glad you joined the group."

The rest of the group arrived and took their seats. Michael said, "Okay guys! I'm going to introduce our newest member, Karen."

Everyone clapped for Karen as she walked towards the podium. Karen introduced herself to the group and said, "My name is Karen. I'm 60 years old, and I live on the outskirts of Penship City. I'm here because I want to get rid of Alex at Giggling Smile Supermarket."

She said, "Have any of you ever heard of a person named Valdis?"

A man said, "Yeah! I have."

Another man said, "Me too."

Karen said, "Valdis is a good friend of mine, and he wants to help me out. He has no idea how to get rid of Alex, though. So, I'm counting on all of you to help us figure out a way to get rid of him."

Karen said, "I've always hated Alex. He's a jerk who treats everybody like crap. He doesn't deserve to be in a supermarket pushing carts!"

Karen left the podium and returned to her seat. The group discussed ways they could get rid of Alex. They decided to ask Valdis for advice.

***

Later that day, Karen had lunch with Valdis. She ordered a pasta dish with marinara sauce and a glass of lemonade. She also asked the waiter for a slice of cherry pie for dessert. They ate their food while talking about what happened since they met each other.

Karen said, "So, what do you think we should do to get rid of Alex?"

Valdis said, "I don't know! I've never worked at a supermarket before. All I know is that I want to help you out."

Karen said, "Thank you! I appreciate that."

Valdis said, "If you need anything else, please let me know."

Karen said, "Thanks! I will."

Valdis said goodbye to Karen and left the restaurant. He went to his apartment and got ready for work at Giggling Smile Supermarket. He pulled up his pants and put on his black shirt and tie. He grabbed his coat and walked to work.

***

At work, Alex was helping customers when he saw one of his former coworkers, Melissa, walk through the front doors. She said, "Hi Alex! I'm back!"

Alex said, "Hey Melissa! How are you doing?"

Melissa said, "I'm fine! Glad to see you!"

Alex said, "Good to see you too. By the way, did you notice that I won a book in the sweepstakes?"

Melissa said, "Yeah. It's in the backyard, hidden behind the bushes."

Alex said, "Whoa! Really? How'd I win this?"

Melissa said, "I don't know! I just know that you did."

Alex said, "I wonder who I won it from."

Melissa said, "I don't know either! I wish I knew."

After saying goodbye to Melissa, Alex went back to work.

***

After work, Karen went to a local bookstore to buy a copy of 'Valdis's Story.' She sat down on a chair and read the first chapter. She liked what she saw and bought a second copy of the book. Once she finished reading the book, Karen felt bad for Jacky and Wolfie when Jacky's father tried to take him home. She thought, 'I'm sure glad that I didn't have to go through that.'

She left the bookstore and went to a local bar. There, she met up with some friends. She drank a beer and chatted with them until closing time. She got up and left the bar. She went home and put her purchases away. She went to bed and fell asleep.

***

Valdis arrived at Giggling Smile Supermarket early in the morning. He went straight to the break room and made himself some coffee. He drank his coffee while waiting for the store manager, Mr. Smith, to arrive. When the store manager arrived, Valdis greeted him. He said, "Good morning, Mr. Smith!"

Mr. Smith said, "Morning, Valdis."

Valdis said, "How are you?"

Mr. Smith said, "I'm fine. How are you?"

Valdis said, "I'm doing well. You know what? I won another book yesterday."

Mr. Smith said, "Really? Who did you win it from?"

Valdis said, "Nobody knows. I found it in my backyard, hiding behind the bushes."

Mr. Smith said, "That sounds strange."

Valdis said, "I agree."

Mr. Smith said, "Are you here to tell me what you think the prize book means?"

Valdis said, "Yes."

Mr. Smith said, "Okay. Let's talk about it in my office."

The two of them went to the store manager's office. Valdis sat down and Mr. Smith closed the door to his office. Mr. Smith said, "So, what do you think the prize book means?"

Valdis said, "Well, I think it's a message from someone who used to work here."

Mr. Smith said, "How do you figure that?"

Valdis said, "I think that the author of the book is trying to tell me something, but I don't know what it is yet."

Mr. Smith said, "Well, the book might mean that the author is telling you to get rid of Alex."

Valdis said, "But I'm already doing that!"

Mr. Smith said, "Maybe not. Maybe the prize book is asking you to get rid of Alex for good."

Valdis said, "I doubt that."

Mr. Smith said, "Why do you say that?"

Valdis said, "Because you're the store manager at this store. You know more than I do about what happens here. If I were the store manager, I wouldn't tell you about the prize book unless I wanted you to know about it."

Mr. Smith said, "You might be right."

Valdis said, "Let's ask Alex about it."

Mr. Smith said, "What makes you think he'll know?"

Valdis said, "He's been working at Giggling Smile Supermarket for a very long time. He probably knows more about the place than you do."

Mr. Smith said, "True."

They both laughed.

***

While Valdis and Mr. Smith talked, Alex was pushing carts in the grocery section side of the parking lot. A customer walked into the parking lot and approached Alex. She said, "Hi! Can I help you find anything today?"

Alex said, "Yeah, I'm looking for a cart."

The woman said, "Here you go! This one's empty. Would you like to use it?"

Alex said, "Sure."

The woman handed the cart to Alex and said, "Thanks! Have a nice day."

Alex returned the smile and thanked her. He walked away and pushed the cart around the parking lot.

***

After work, Karen went to the supermarket again. She went to the break room and saw Valdis sitting on a chair drinking some coffee. She said, "Good afternoon, Valdis!"

Valdis said, "Hello, Karen! How are you?"

Karen said, "I'm fine. What are you doing here?"

Valdis said, "Oh, nothing much really. Just relaxing after work."

Karen said, "I see."

Karen and Valdis spent some time chatting at the break room before returning to the supermarket. Once they arrived, Valdis went to his locker to get changed and grab a bite to eat. Karen went to her locker to get changed.

Once Karen was done changing, she went to the break room and found Valdis eating lunch at the table. She sat down across from Valdis and started eating her lunch.

***

Around 4:00 PM, Valdis finished his lunch and went to the front doors of the supermarket to close them for the night. He locked the doors and turned off the lights. He then walked to the back of the supermarket and took the garbage out to the dumpster. While walking to the dumpster, he noticed Mr. Smith standing by the dumpster with his hands on his hips.

Mr. Smith said, "Did you forget something, Valdis?"

Valdis said, "No sir. I'm just taking out the trash."

Mr. Smith said, "You know that you shouldn't leave the back door unlocked."

Valdis said, "Sorry about that."

Mr. Smith said, "It's okay. But remember next time."

Valdis said, "Yes, sir. I will."

Mr. Smith said, "All right. Thanks."

Valdis said, "No problem."

The two men said goodbye to each other and went back inside the supermarket.

***

Later that evening, Karen had dinner with Valdis. She ordered spaghetti with marinara sauce and a glass of lemonade. She also asked the waiter for a slice of cherry pie for dessert. They ate their food while talking about what happened since they met each other.

Karen said, "So, what do you think the prize book means?"

Valdis said, "I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I think it means that you need to get rid of Alex once and for all."

Karen said, "That's what I figured!"

Valdis said, "I think so too."

Karen said, "Then why hasn't anything happened yet?"

Valdis said, "I guess you could ask Alex if he knows anything about it."

Karen said, "I will as soon as I can."

Valdis said, "Okay. Good luck. I hope you can solve this mystery!"

Karen said, "Thanks. So far, I haven't solved anything."

Valdis said, "There's still time."

Karen said, "I know."

Valdis said, "By the way, I won another book yesterday. It was hidden in my backyard, hiding behind the bushes."

Karen said, "What?! How did you win that?"

Valdis said, "Nobody knows! I just know that I won it."

Karen said, "That sounds strange."

Valdis said, "I agree."

Karen said, "I wonder who I won it from."

Valdis said, "I don't know either!"

Karen said, "Okay! Well, let's ask Alex about it tomorrow."

Valdis said, "Okay! See you later, Karen."

Karen said, "See you tomorrow, Valdis!"

***

On Saturday morning, Alex was sitting on a stool in the kitchen. He was eating breakfast and listening to music through his headphones. He finished his food and took out the trash. He then went to the bathroom and cleaned himself up. After washing his face, he went to the bedroom to get dressed. He put on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a hooded jacket. He grabbed his wallet and keys and headed outside to his car.

Before leaving the house, he looked down at the floor and noticed the prize book lying there. His curiosity got the best of him and he picked it up. He opened the cover and read the title of the book: 'Valdis's Story.' He then read the first page. The book told him that Valdis had won the book because he was a good person. The story went on to explain that Jacky woke up in the woods and after a few events meets a friendly wolf named Wolfie who takes him in as a pet. The story concluded by saying that Valdis the villain had won.

Alex read the entire book and thought it was extremely interesting. He decided to keep the book with him and put it in his bag. He then left the house and drove to work.

***

When Alex arrived at work, he went to his locker to get changed. He put on a blue tunic, tan trousers, and leather boots. He then walked to the break room to eat his lunch. When he arrived, Valdis was sitting at the table eating some food. Alex sat down across from Valdis and ate his lunch.

After lunch, Alex went to the store manager's office to discuss what happened during his shift. He told Mr. Smith about how he found the prize book and what it meant. Mr. Smith said, "I see. That's quite an interesting book."

Alex said, "I think so too."

Mr. Smith said, "So, do you have any ideas about what it means?"

Alex said, "Not yet. But I'll try to figure it out."

Mr. Smith said, "I hope you can solve the mystery."

Alex said, "Me too."

Mr. Smith said, "I'm going home now. I'll see you tomorrow."

Alex said, "Okay! See you then, Mr. Smith."

Mr. Smith smiled and left the office.

***

When Karen arrived at work on Sunday, she went to the break room and found Valdis sitting there. She sat down and said, "Good morning, Valdis!"

Valdis said, "Hello, Karen! How are you doing today?"

Karen said, "I'm doing great, thanks!"

Valdis said, "Do you want to know the answer to your question about the prize book? Did you figure it out?"

Karen said, "I didn't. I was hoping you would tell me if you knew."

Valdis said, "Well, I think the prize book means that you should get rid of Alex once and for all."

Karen said, "Really?!"

Valdis said, "I think so. It says so right on the front page."

Karen said, "Wow! That's amazing! You're a genius! However, I'm planning to trap Alex and his goody-two-shoe friends within your story Vadis with my witchy powers"

Valdis said, "I'm glad you like it!"

Karen said, "Thanks! I'll see you later."

Valdis said, "See you later, Karen."

***

Alex, Max, Jeorgar, Cedar, Fenrir, and Argo woke up in the same place Jacky had and followed the path he took, but they didn't find him in the forest of giant trees until events in chapter 2 happened. Nothing of note happened before they found Jacky and Wolfie in a cave near the Village of Bigtree. Everyone was shocked at what they saw. Wolfie was giving Jacky a hug in the most inappropriate way possible. Wolfie realizing that others were watching what he was doing, stopped dead in his tracks. "What you did to Jacky was so wrong on multiple levels, Wolfie," said Alex. "How do you know our names, strangers?" Asked Wolfie nervously. Alex recounted how he was aware that Jacky had been kidnapped by slavers who did some unsavory things to him. Then was saved by a thunderbird, and eventually woke up in the woods wondering if he was going to die. Had two events of divine intervention, and eventually found the village of Bigtree where he met Wolfie who became his pet. How Wolfie had told Jacky that wolves only ate people in the city of Troustead. Which was the capital city of the kingdom of Stoukrugon. How Wolfie had given Jacky two baths that had questionable things that happened. How Wolfie had learned how to speak English in London England. That Wolfie had told Jacky that he would take him to the sea, that he knew Wolfie had a mother, two brothers, and a sister in his family. How Jacky got plump from eating the food Wolfie made for him. That Wolfie likes warm moist skin and doesn't understand what personal boundaries are. How Jacky's father was unhappy about him playing with a wolf. Jacky got help from the woodland creatures to help him stay in the village. How they had met Pemirrorth, the white one, Pondrysdag, The Scary One, and Johnny the dragon who gave them some eggs that they took to the king, but were told that they couldn't keep any due to a prophecy about a black dragon who was hungry for children. Lastly, he told Jacky that he had some questionable morals and was a gullible sheltered kid who grew up with strict parents. Jacky was shaken up about the situation. He said to the group, "I'm not sure what to say. I mean, Wolfie has always treated me well. I love him dearly. I don't know what I'd do without him. I just wanted to thank you guys for saving me." He hugged Wolfie tightly again, then broke free. "Wolfie, I'm sorry for treating you badly before. Everyone else was shocked once again about the situation as Wolfie technically hadn't been hugging Jacky but doing something inappropriate for him to do to Jacky. Wolfie said, "It's okay Jacky. I forgive you." Alex told Wolfie there are some things that I want answers to, like how did you survive almost being burned to a crisp after a wolf used its magic powers on you after they killed your deer surrogate mother? How did you learn to speak English? How did you become a wolf-dog hybrid when wolves normally hate dogs and vice versa? How did you end up in Troustead? How come you weren't afraid of us when we showed up? How did you know where Jacky was? How did you find us here in Bigtree? And finally, how did you know to bring Jacky the book, Valdis's Story?" Wolfie said, "I don't know how I knew about the book or how I knew where Jacky was. I found a picture of Jacky in his bedroom. On his bookshelf. In his desk drawer. Under his mattress. I found a picture of Jacky in his bed. With his head under the covers. I found a picture of Jacky in his bed that had the cover ripped off it. I found a picture of Jacky on his nightstand. I found a picture of Jacky that had a sticker on it. On his nightstand. I found a picture of Jacky on his dresser. By the light switch. On his dresser. I found a picture of Jacky on his nightstand. On top of his lamp." Alex was impressed by Wolfie's memory and said, "That's really impressive. You must be very smart." Wolfie replied, "Thank you. I may seem smart, but I am still a wolf. I have the intelligence of a wolf, but my behavior is influenced by the way that I live. Like when I was raised in Troustead, I was trained by the royal guards there to be obedient to humans. I am smarter than a regular wolf, but I cannot think for myself. There are times when my instinctive behavior can confuse people and cause problems. For example, a long time ago, I was being chased by some kind of monster. As I ran away, I accidentally ran into someone. The guy fell over and hurt himself. I felt terrible about it. So I apologized to him. He told me that he wasn't injured and that I didn't need to apologize. But I couldn't stop thinking about it. I asked him why he wouldn't accept my apology. He told me that he didn't even care. He said that I had done nothing wrong, but he was fine. Alex said I'm surprised that you guys would hug after dominating Jacky, Wolfie. Do you guys have feelings for each other? Wolfie said, "No. I have never had feelings for Jacky. He is like a brother to me. I do not feel anything toward him romantically.

***

Meanwhile, outside of the book, Elder Elder and Elder Jackson were in restraints wearing torn clothing when a Villain named Keith Douglas went to interrogate them. He was a leader of the local Anti-Mormon group and he wanted answers from them by asking questions that would humiliate the missionaries. First things first though, he wanted them to admit to denying Christ and so he told them "This gold will I give to you if you admit that Christ isn't real"

Elder Jackson said, "What you just said reminds me of a certain person in the Book of Mormon. He said something similar but he planned on withholding the gold and just making them admit to denying Christ

Keith Douglas laughed nervously because what Elder Jackson said was the truth of what he had planned on doing, but he couldn't let the missionaries know. Instead, he told them if they didn't take the gold he would tell everyone he knew that Mormons baptize people by dipping their fingers in small cups with holy water in them and then saying a prayer over them instead of actually immersing them completely in water.

Elder Elder said, "Fine then, but know that the person you work for won't support you on the last day"

Keith Douglas said "Aaarrrggghhh! What is that supposed to mean? I don't know what you're talking about. I only work for myself, other than when I go by Elder Douglas at the Villain Job Fair" Elder Elder looked around and said, "You either work for God or not and you clearly do not work for God"

Keith Douglas said, "I work for myself! I'm a self-made man!"

Elder Elder said, "You are an anti-Christ"

The next thing Elder Elder and Elder Jackson knew they were unconscious.

***

Wolfie said "Now that I've explained wolf etiquette in detail, I hope no one thinks I'm a sexual predator anymore," Jacky said, "I think it's fantastic that you now understand the proper way to treat a human. If that's how a wolf behaves toward a man, I can see why you were rejected in Troustead. I'm glad we have each other."

Wolfie said, "I am too. We need to make a plan to get back to Troustead. It's obvious that the king and queen of Stoukrugon will be angry with us for saving Jacky, but we should be safe in Troustead since his parents don't hate us." Jacky said, "That's true. If his parents don't hate us, then they probably won't kill us either." Wolfie said, "We should probably figure out how to sneak into Troustead." "Let's stop at Bigtree village first," said Alex "We can ask the villagers for help" "I'll bet they will be happy to help us," said Cedar. "They've helped us before and we've been good to them," said Cedar

Jacky was halfway across the village when he ran into a strange man with long black hair and a ponytail. There was something familiar about the man but Jacky couldn't figure out what.

"Hi," Jacky said to the stranger. "Can I help you?"

The man blinked and stared at Jacky blankly. Then he shook his head.

"No," the stranger answered. "You can't help me."

The stranger turned and walked off.

Jacky shrugged his shoulders and started to walk toward the shop he had seen earlier. He was hoping to find something he could cook for dinner. He was still hungry from earlier.

He came out of the store carrying several bags of flour, salt, sugar, and various spices.

"Ah," he said. "That wasn't too bad. I found all the ingredients I needed."

Suddenly, Jacky felt someone grab his arm. He turned around and saw the same tall man from before. There was something different about him now. He looked older, and a little sicklier. Jacky realized that this man had probably been sick the whole time they had been in the game.

"Who are you?" Jacky asked.

"What does it matter?" the man asked. He pulled Jacky closer. "I'm going to kill you."

Jacky gasped and tried to pull away from the man.

"Wait!" he yelled. "Let go of me!"

when Wolfie tried attacking the man from behind Alex held him back.

"Don't fight back! We need him alive for questioning!" Wolfie agreed reluctantly but Alex kept hold of Wolfie's fur until Wolfie calmed down. Max the dog, Jeorgar the Dragon, Cedar the Bear, and Fenrir the werewolf lunged forward. Fenrir placed Argo the baby on the ground which caused him to cry loudly as everyone stared at him with curious eyes. Jacky had no weapon on him and there was nowhere to run or hide. "Wolfie I'll distract the man while you guys capture him."

"Alex don't do this," Jacky pleaded with Alex. "This isn't what you should be doing."

Alex smiled and said, "Don't worry about it." He gave Wolfie a nod and turned toward the villager. The man started moving his hands around, trying to figure out how he would kill Jacky without anyone noticing. His hands moved so fast that Jacky couldn't tell where they went. Suddenly, the stranger threw his arms up in the air and shouted an incantation of some kind. When he finished he was holding three silver swords in each hand.

"I summon my blades of power! My enemies will perish by them!"

The strange man ran at Wolfie first. Wolfie used his back legs to jump over the man and fly above him. He landed next to Jacky and jumped onto him. Wolfie pushed Jacky aside and slashed the man with two of his swords. Blood spilled everywhere. Jacky watched in horror as Wolfie the wolf kept swinging. "Wolfie stop! You're killing him! Stop!"

Wolfie stopped cutting the man's throat because the man had dropped his weapons after being cut open from ear to ear. "It's okay," Wolfie told Jacky, then added, "but let's make sure we get all these guys' attention." Wolfie raised his head, opened his mouth, and roared loudly at everyone there. At once, everyone looked at Wolfie and at least five people immediately put their hands to their ears and screamed like they were having heart attacks.

Wolfie took advantage of the distraction and pounced on top of the unconscious villager. As soon as he did that, the man started twitching again. Everyone was staring now. They were stunned. Suddenly the man teleported away.

Wolfie quickly followed the man's movements with his eyes until he disappeared completely. "He is gone."

"What happened?" Alex asked Wolfie.

Wolfie sighed with relief before explaining what had just transpired. Then Alex turned to face Jacky and said "What do you have to say for yourself? Don't you know what you are doing when you play this game? I can't believe you almost killed another person!"

Jacky said, "I didn't mean it! I was only trying to protect myself! If I'd known what would happen, I never would have done it!"

Alex stared at him coldly. "You're not getting it," he said through clenched teeth. "You don't get a second chance with me or any of your friends."

Jacky felt sick. He knew Alex wasn't joking around. He knew that the wolf really meant business when he said those words. He wanted to run but he couldn't because of how scared he was. His stomach hurt from anxiety so much that he thought he might throw up. Alex Told Wolfie and Jacky that the person trying to kill Jacky was a villainous person named Fango the Black and that he was planning on getting close to Jacky in an attempt to take his plot armor away, and that they needed to reach the Draconic suppression center in Troustead before 8 am the next morning or else a dragon that would help Fango gain Plot armor would escape.

The rest of the day went by very fast as they all worked together to try and come up with a plan to stop Fango. Bigtree Village was about a half-day journey away from the capital and it was already past noon at this pontin time. That night they stayed at one of the inns just outside the city limits. After dinner, the whole group gathered in a room where Jacky, Cedar, Wolfie, Max, Jeorgar, and Fenrir explained their idea to Alex.

"I think it's too dangerous to go to the capital tomorrow," Alex said after hearing their proposal for stopping Fango. "I know there are villains there who are working with Fango. They won't let us into the dragon suppression facility."

Fenrir said, "I know someone here in Stoukrugon who can tell me what we need to know. He is a mage who is highly respected among our people. He has studied dragons more than anyone alive. If anyone knows anything about what is going on inside the dragon suppression center then he does. I will meet with him tomorrow and ask him some questions. Then I will be able to decide if you should try and make it to Troustead before eight o'clock tomorrow morning or not. But I am telling you now that I don't like your chances of succeeding. You'll have no protection from Plot armor at the center and Fango might find out that you've escaped from his trap, so that could end badly for all of you."

With their plan put in motion, They decided to get some sleep for the night, with plans on getting up around 4 am the next morning.