Watching their older sister bolt off to the side, Annabel and John look at each other confusion. Looking around, Annabel's eyes widen, "Where's Georgie?" Both freeze before dropping their treats and looking around frantically. John's gaze lands on the swish of a curtain to the right, a speck of purple fleeting his sight causing him to gasp—his sister.
"There!" He points to where he saw her leave, "Annabel quick!"
Dashing after the youngest, (Y/N) throws herself between the heavy curtains in search of her brother. Leaving the Doulton Hall, she finds herself at the back where crates of items that seemed to be from her home sat.
"Give Gillie back!" The sound of Georgie's voice causes her heart to lurch, "he's mine—mother made him for me!"
"Georgie!" (Y/N) cries out, turning the corner to see her brother fighting with the badger and weasel that had greeted them earlier that night. Her eyes narrow into a glare, "let go of my brother, you rodent filth!"
"Ah, if it isn't the little ringleader of this ragtag family," The wolf hounds in on her, lazily swinging the pocket watch in his hand, "I was wondering when you would show up—or if you'd leave your brother like the irresponsible sister you are... traits inherited from your father, I suppose..." he smirks, voice laced with malice.
(Y/N)'s fist clenches, "Why, you—"
"Hey!" Another voice calls out, "leave them alone!" Annabel and John appear by the curtain where she had exited. The wolf bows onto all fours and lunges towards the front of the truck, shoving the eldest child to the side.
"Time to go, boys!"
At his command, the badger and weasel have no time to spare as they work together to haul a struggling Georgie onto the back of the cart, locking him in before running to the front where the their leader starts up the engine, already beginning to pull away from the scene. The wheels kick up a dark cloud of dust along with the fumes the engine emits, slowing the Banks children's pursuit.
"(Y/N), are you alright?" John is quick to move to her side, helping her stand and checking her over for any wounds.
"I'm fine, John," The female gives him a nod of thanks before rushing after Annabel whom had already taken off on foot after the retreating vehicle, "quick, we have to help!"
"Georgie!" Annabel yells.
"We're coming, Georgie!" John puffs out, the younger yelling his name in turn. Their hearts ache at the sound of their brother's cries, but their lungs burn in the need for air. The trio eventually slow their running, unable to catch up with the fuel run car. (Y/N) begins to panic, screaming for her younger brother.
"Georgie..!"
The boy's voice barely reaches her ears in an echo due to the distance already placed between them. She silently cusses herself for not keeping a closer eye on him before she jumps at the sound of pounding hooves approaching. She's quick to gather her brother and sister in her arms before the trio let out a yell of alarm as their hauled up and onto the passing carriage.
"Shamus!" Annabel says in surprise. Her brother copies.
"Clyde!"
"That's right," The Irishman cross poodle turns and nods before facing the front again, eyes glazed with determination, "it's us!" Clyde's hooves pound rapidly against the porcelain pathing, wind whipping his mane back as he sprints to catch up with the criminals.
"Let's go get your brother back..!"
Relief flooding over them, the siblings share a look of hope and courage before holding onto their seats as the carriage lurches forwards, quickly gaining on the wolf and hic lackeys.
Hearing the thundering of footsteps and rolling gears from behind, the wolf sharply twists the side view mirror to face the back of the vehicle, growling as he spots Clyde and the children in hot pursuit.
"We're gaining on 'em!" Shamus shouts victoriously, directing the carriage right behind the cart which Georgie's trapped in. In the midst of the chase, they're lead into a dark forest with an unstable path and twisted trees in hopes to throw them off. The wolf barks out orders to replenish more fuel in the furnace of the engine, thrusting them forwards as they go faster, "giddy-up, big fella!" Shamus encourages, Clyde's eyes narrowing as he forces himself to go faster, heavy breaths escaping him; he doesn't give up. The children yelp as the carriage makes up a steep incline of a hill, (Y/N)'s stomach dropping as she sees Georgie being thrown around in the cart in front of them.
Making their way to the side of the cart, the wolf makes a sharp turn in hope to run them off the path, only for Shamus and Clyde to easily evade.
"We're closing in," Shamus informs, "get ready to jump!" The carriage rides side by side with the fuel run vehicle, the incline now completely side on which results in the children readying themselves on what would be the doors of the carriage.
"Ready," (Y/N) calls out, "and... now!" On her mark, the three leap from Shamus's carriage and onto the rickety cart where Georgie is.
"Well done, children!" Shamus praises, raising a fist victoriously. Having done their job and with Clyde running out of stamina, they begin to fall back.
"Give 'em a what-for!" Clyde shouts encouragingly before fading from view as they fall behind, leaving the Banks to complete their rescue. Annabel jumps as the wolf lets out an aggravated yell.
"Get rid of them!"
The weasel and badger falter in their actions—if they were to do anything, they would harm the children. The weasel speaks up, "B-But sir—"
"You heard me!" The two flinch at his command, but comply nonetheless, scrambling from the front of the vehicle to the cart.
"Georgie, are you alright?" Annabel yells over the rumbling of the engine, (Y/N) reaching a hand in through the wooden bars. John looks over their heads to see the two lackey's clambering towards them.
"Look!" At his warning, the two girls look up in alarm. In one swift movement, (Y/N) grabs a wooden cricket bat from the closest crate and pulls it up, only for it to get snatched by Annabel who steps towards the two offenders and swings it towards them.
"Annabel!" She warns. The younger stumbles as the cart bumps over small cracks in the porcelain path, the force of the swing too much for her to hold and causing it to go flying over the attackers' heads. Seeing no more threat, the badger and weasel ascend once again. Unbeknownst to them, the bat hit the porcelain and cracked it, causing a shard to come flying free. Turning around, the weasel gasps but is unable to move quick enough before being hit into the badger and being sent from the cart, the Banks' ducking as their thrown above them.
(Y/N)'s eyes narrow, "Stay with Georgie, you two."
"Right!" John and Annabel drop into the cart, Georgie being quick to embrace them. The eldest winces as she stands, climbing down the side of the cart and to the gears connecting it with the car in front of them. She yelps as the flames from the engine's furnace almost manage to nick her. Falling to her knees, she hangs on for dear life as her siblings call out to her in fear and worry.
"Hang on tight!" She warns them. One hand gripping the beam she sits on, the other grasps the metal of the lock only causing her to pull back abruptly as the metal burns her briefly due to the licking flames a few feet away. She grunts to herself quietly, stifling a yell as she grips the metal and pulls it from the lock, disconnecting them from the wolf's car. She and her siblings let out a sigh of relief as they gradually grow distanced, the elder girl retreating into the back of the cart with her family.
The wolf growls angrily before eyeing the shovel used to stock the coal in the engine. Not wanting them to get away without consequences, he smirks maliciously. In one swift movement, he grabs the shovel and plunges it into the porcelain behind him, watching with a dark chuckle as it creates a large, black and seemingly bottomless crack in the ground.
The groups eyes widen in fear, panic clutching at their hearts as they desperately grip each other and the cart for stability. The wheels wobble as the crack grows, forming a long line in which they have no choice but to follow. The trees suddenly stop by a certain point in the forest, a sign stabbed in the ground reading, 'Edge of Bowl'.
"Oh no..." Annabel whimpers.
"The edge of the bowl!" The Banks children cry out together, terror in their eyes as the drive closer and closer to the abrupt end of pathing. (Y/N)'s blood runs cold and she clutches onto each of her siblings in a protective embrace, eyes clamping shut as they reach the cliff. Their stomachs drop as the sudden feeling of falling takes over, the family being thrown from the cart and into the dark, empty abyss.
Her ears ring and her throat burns as she screams, arms flailing as the air rips her brothers and sister from her embrace. The longer they fall, the louder the ringing becomes whilst the sound of their screams gradually fade. The feeling of fear causes their hearts to pound erratically, the darkness growing closer, and closer, the silence and ringing almost overbearing.
Falling, and
falling, and
falling.
Deeper and darker the abyss grows.
Falling, and
falling, and
falling.
And soon...
nothing.
—————————A/N—————————
I hope you enjoyed!
(Not edited)
1647 words