In Scotland

Coincidental Tryst (Part 6)

While Shenanigan went about chopping carrots with her brush-sword to make stew, at the other side of the campsite, she heard an ear-piercing, blood-chilling shriek seemingly of a male's to her left.

Oh no no no no no, Shenanigan shook her head wildly, Matt went that way. Could it be him?

Grabbing her walkie-talkie, Shenanigan abandoned the carrots on her chopping board and dashed away to find Matt, not bothering to let go of the brush-sword, just in case it was needed for self-defense.

"Calling Matt, this is Shenanigan! Matt, can you hear meeeee?" Shenanigan yelled into the walkie-talkie as she ran as fast as she could, sweat beading on her forehead.

As she ran, she vaguely noticed a trail of slimy carrot juice glistening on the grass. Gagging, the thought hit her with a pang. What if Matt was attacked by a carrot monster?

Grimacing from the strenuous exercise, she gritted her teeth and pressed ahead, only to espy a sight she would never have expected.

Zeb was bleeding from a gash on his right leg as he limped around, aiming arrows at a lumbering carrot monster. It looked worse than the first one Shenanigan had chanced upon, with warts all over his skin and one bloodshot eye.

"Calling Shenanigan! You... Uh... Need help?" The green walkie-talkie lay useless on the grass. Shenanigan had thrown it over her shoulder, running to Zeb's aid.

By now, her body was literally coursing with adrenaline . Charging towards the carrot monster, she bellowed, "YARGDHG!"

Zeb's face morphed into one of surprise. "Wait, you again?" He exclaimed, not before seeming at a loss of what to say.

"Shenanigan! Are you okay?" Matt could not control the inner wave of anxiety that flooded over him. He knew that something was wrong when his cries went met with silence.

Instead, he decided to call Natty for help. By then, Natty was done pitching the tents and returned to where she had last seen Shenanigan. Upon realising Shenanigan was nowhere to be found, she panicked and desperately called Matt for help.

"Natty!" "Matt!"

They called each other on their walkie-talkies at precisely the same time.

"Is Shenanigan okay?" "Is Shenanigan alright?"

Yet again, they talked at the same time.

Matt took advantage of the awkward silence that ensued and said, "Shenanigan called for help! And when I responded, she didn't!"

Natty said, "Shenanigan isn't back at the camp site!"

They were lost in thought for a while. Natty screamed to Shenanigan in her mind, "Shenanigan! Where are you?" She started pacing around the borders of the camp site, and accidentally tripped on a stone.

"Ooof!"

With her face nearly on the ground, she groaned and started pushing herself up. Instead, she collapsed back down in shock.

A trail of slimy carrot juice was leading from not far away into the forest!

Natty immediately called Matt, "Matt! There is a trail of carrot juice outside of the camp border! You've gotta see this!"

Matt answered, "Roger. Gimme a sec."

Natty cheered to herself, "YES! Federer!"

Matt said through the walkie-talkie, "I can hear you, you know!"

A second later, Matt teleported by Natty's side, sitting on a huge rock, face taunt with worry. "Do you think the carrot monster got Shenanigan?"

Natty shrugged, "How am I supposed to know?"

Matt then sprang up from his seat and told Natty to get her fairy dust and hairbrush-sword. Matt packed some essentials like, well, water and food.

They found the raft tied up under a huge, leafy tree and cut the rope in a hurry. Then, they towed out the raft and sat on it, hands quivering slightly. Matt chanted the spell, voice sounding a little hesitant, and they zoomed off, bagpipes sounding yet again.