Another Friend in Amphibia

Chapter 30: Truck Stop Polly

"Sprig, Anne and Drake. You three start cleaning out the fwagon. Polly, go get some paper towels." Hop Pop ordered.

Drake grabbed a box full of tools and emptied out the water in it. Luckily the tools seemed perfectly fine. He went back inside to grab another box.

"Man, what's with Polly today? Is it just me or is she being extra annoying?" Sprig complained.

"I know. Zap-tag? More like zap-pest." Anne joked but nobody found it funny.

"I don't think that's very funny." Drake said as he carried out a box full of extra pillows that got soaked.

"They can't all be winners okay." Anne said.

"Maybe she's just not cut out for this." Sprig said.

Hop Pop sighed. "It's times like these when I wonder whether I should've left her with Mrs. Croaker back home in Wartwood."

"Oh, you don't mean that. You're just a little frustrated." Anne said.

"Yeah, I'm sure she's got her reasons." Sprig added.

"The trip is really taking its toll on all of us. Any of us could snap at any moment. Maybe we need a break?" Drake suggested.

"You're right. You're right. I'm just so hoppin' tired!" Hop Pop groaned.

"Here, Hop Pop. Have some coffee." Anne poured him a cup.

He took a sip and was full of energy. "Whoa, nelly! Whoo-hoo! Now let's get this show on the road!"

The group cheered as they started to load the fwagon back up. Once they were done everyone except Drake and Polly gathered on the roof. Polly was busy napping in her bucket.

Meanwhile, Drake went back to reading Bessie's book. Although the first chapter was nothing but descriptions. After that, things started to get interesting. Time passed by pretty quickly as Drake was absorbed in the book. Although he kept Polly in the back of his mind, perhaps he should spend some time with her after this next chapter.

And it was at that moment I realized Bessie was no ordinary snail.

"Sprig! Hop Pop! Drake! Code purple!" Anne called out.

"What?" Hop Pop called out as everyone came in to investigate.

Anne pointed at a purple stone. It must've been disguised to look like Polly. Which means Polly wasn't in the fwagon.

"She must be at the truck stop. We gotta go back!" Hop Pop said.

Then the stone began to crack, and an eye looked right at her. "Well, that's mildly concerning." Anne commented. Then she put down the weird egg as everyone climbed onto the fwagon's roof.

Hop Pop started speeding towards the truck stop. When they noticed another vehicle on the road, everyone started waving their hands to get its attention. Then a giant bird emerged from the fwagon, its sheer size causing it to poke holes into the roof and floor. They were lucky the fwagon didn't explode. The bird looked around then at Bessie, preparing for its first meal. Bessie hid inside her shell when she noticed the bird looking at her.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Anne yelled as she and Sprig jumped at the bird.

"Hands off our snail!" Hop Pop yelled as well as he and Drake joined the battle.

The four of them grabbed the bird's neck and started smacking it, hoping to get it to let go of Bessie's shell. It knocked Sprig off who fell inside the fwagon. A second later, he reemerged with a bucket of soap and water.

"Eat suds!" Sprig yelled as he threw the bucket at the bird, hitting it in the face.

The bird roared and continued trying to shake them off.

"Zap-tag, anyone?" Polly's voice could be heard. She was flying through the air like a lightning bolt and collided with the bird's beak.

Then as if a god had personally launched a lightning bolt to smite the creature. The bird was electrified and threw everyone off. When the smoke cleared, everyone had some kind of injury but was still alive. Meanwhile the fwagon had flipped over on its side and didn't seem functional anymore. The bird on the other hand, definitely suffered the worst. It had lost all its feathers but managed to fly away despite the injury.

"That's right! You better run! Nobody terrorizes my family but me!" Polly yelled. "You're all okay!" she pulled everyone into a hug giving everyone a minor shock. "Oh, and you're welcome! I'd also like to thank Speedy Joe for his help and-"

"Polly Petunia Plantar!" Hop Pop cut her off.

"Uh oh, full name. Could you give us a minute, Speedy Joe?"

"You got it!" the giant bearded frog started to back away while making a beeping sound.

"So... sorry about the killer bird." Polly apologized.

Hop Pop started to scold her. "Forget the killer bird! Don't you ever run away from us again! You hear me? We were worried sick! What if something happened to you? What if you'd gotten hurt or lost or worse?"

"I really am just trouble, aren't I?" Polly sniffed. "You were right. Maybe you should've left me back in Wartwood."

Her words shocked the rest of the family. Hop Pop sighed. "Heard all that, did you?" he picked her up. "Polly, I'd never leave you behind, not ever."

"The idea we may have left you behind was the scariest thing to happen during this whole trip." Drake explained.

"We shouldn't have been so harsh." Anne said.

"You're such a tough little tadpole, we forget you need a little loving occasionally." Sprig added.

Polly smiled. "Thanks guys." then everyone came in for a group hug.

"Sorry to interrupt, but do you guys need a tow to the next stop?" Speedy Joe had returned. "Betcha they'll have everything you need to fix up your wagon."

"Fwagon." the group corrected him in unison.

"Is that a word?"

Everyone worked together to load the fwagon and Bessie onto Speedy Joe's trailer. Once they were done, they sat inside the fwagon.

"Well, now that we got a breather, who's ready for some story time?" Hop Pop asked earning a cheer from Sprig and Polly.

"I'm thirteen, but okay." Anne answered.

Hop Pop opened the book and read aloud. "All right, now where were we?"

Rain poured from the sky as Fergus Frog faced his wife's killer in the deserted alleyway. "Taking me out won't bring her back." growled the assassin.

"Ain't that a shame." said Fergus as he drew his knife!

Hop Pop turned the page, causing a pop-up hand and knife to emerge from the book.

"Ho, ho! Get 'em, Fergus!" Polly cheered.

"Man this book is dark!" Anne exclaimed.

Author's Note

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Yet another chapter finished and so soon after the previous one. I decided to get a bunch of the easy ones done quickly. Make up for the lost time. Anyway, looks like Drake is gonna be learning to drive Bessie soon.