Chapter Text
“Not all stories have a happy ending,” the furcorn explained gently to the kids in front of her. A small crowd of monsterlings were gathered in front of her. She loved volunteering for story time at the library, but these kids seriously got on her nerves with their nagging.
“Why not?” a grumpy Flowah huffed, crossing their stubby arms.
“That’s just how life works, kiddo. You’ll know when you’re older,” She smiled, though her heart wasn’t fully in the expression.
Like clockwork, the children broke out into uncontrolled irritating babbling and questioning. She stared at the crowd of kids all yelling and fighting for her attention, waving their hands wildly as their teacher watched with concern. A feeling of unease and uncertainty washed over her as she heard all the kids call her “miss.”
“Now, now, kiddos. Settle down. Don’t overwhelm her,” the teacher, who was a weathered Oaktapus, called out to the horde of kids. Glancing at the clock, they realized that it was already time for the class to leave.
“Oh, would you look at that! It’s time to leave. Time really does fly when you’re having fun, right kiddos?” The teacher called out to the class.
The furcorn watched as they left, waving with the leaf atop the stalk attached to her head. As soon as the class was out the door, however, she sighed. ‘Finally,’ she thought. ‘Some alone time…’
She sat on a stool at a table, grabbing a book and opening it up. Just as she was about to start reading peacefully, she heard a grating voice from just across the aisle.
“Long time no see..” It began, as she turned to face the Epic Clamble that was approaching her.
“Mazi,” it chuckled, its eyes narrowing as it taunted her.
“Go away,” she retorted, glaring at it.
“Cmon, don’t be like that.” it sneered, staring down at her. “You just can’t take a joke, can you?”
“Shut up.” She jeered, standing from the stool and backing away. The Clamble’s eyes widened at her sudden defiance. “Listen, Krambit,” she grumbled toward the mon standing in front of her; Krambit. “If you’re gonna do me the disgrace of making me listen to your voice, you could at least call me by the right name.”
Krambit’s shocked stare shifted to a furious glare as he eyed her. “You and I are taking this outside. Meet me in the parking lot in the next 4 minutes or else I’ll drag you out myself.”
They both stared for a moment, as she tried to find any form of jesting in Krambit’s expression. Yet she came up empty handed. ‘Great,’ she thought, though her stalk was starting to shake a little as Krambit walked away and out the door.
4 minutes.
She had 4 minutes.
’I just got myself into a fight with someone 3 times the size of me,’ she thought some more, fear starting to settle in her soul like a heavy weight. ‘What the hell should I do in this situation?’
3 minutes.
She brainstormed for a while before figuring that she should probably call for help. She grabbed her bag and rummaged through it, before her leaf finally came out holding her phone.
2 minutes.
She dialed the number frantically and waited anxiously for an answer. None. Dialed again. No answer again.
1 minute.
Finally, she heard someone on the other end.
”Izma?”
‘Thank the Celestials,’ she thought, her voice coming out faster than she could think.
“Hufflyn?”
“What do you need? You sound kinda—“
“Come over here. Now.”
”What? What’s going on?”
”The library. Come quickly. Please.”
”Izma, what’s—“
Hufflyn looked down at the phone in his hooves. At the text that now read “Call Ended.” This could not be good.
Izma now stood in front of Krambit, who was looking almost happy. “Took you long enough,” he jeered.
Meanwhile, Hufflyn grabbed his instrument along with the Fleech laying inside, hoisted it around his shoulders, and ran out the door before Folia, standing right there, could ask him where he was going.