AFL part 4 chapter 17

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As we came across a rather old looking sign that had a little yellow duckling painted on it. And words the read Welcome to The Snugly Duckling Pub. Not too far from us was the pub. From what I saw it looked like it was built on a hill side. Part of the paint was peeling off on the windows a bit and the whole thing looked like it was very slanted even if it was on a hill.

“Well were here.” Said Flynn with a gleaming smile.

“Wow what a dump this place looks on the outside.” Said John.

“Oh but it better on the inside I assure you John.” Replied Flynn.

I wonder what was really behind these doors of this odd looking pub. And why it had such a cute sounding name to it? Flynn opened the door and in we went. But to my surprised face it was not what Flynn had said it would be.

“You said it was better on the inside huh?” said John in a sarcastic tone. He looked as if he was about to grab Flynn by the collar of his shirt when all of a sudden an ax nearly hit the two of them.

I stood my ground taking Rapunzel and Karin by the hands holding on tight as a bunch of thugs emerged from the shadows. Lee took Karin’s other hand and was about to grab his gun blade. But before he got a chance to, a man with a hook for a hand came up to Flynn and John holding on to some sort of paper in his hook.

“Is this you?!” asked the thug in a gruff tone.

Flynn looked at the paper and said, “They just can’t seem to get my nose right.”

“It’s him get him and the other guy too!” said the same thug who had the hook.

Just then a brawl was starting to take place and I was getting really uneasy. So were Lee and Karin. I then saw John and Flynn being picked up in the air looked as if the thugs where going to hit them any second.

That was when Rapunzel let go of my hand and began to yell for them to stop.
“Hey cut it out. I need him. He’s to take me to the lanterns.” She said.

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But it seemed no use at all. That was when Rapunzel began to use her frying pan. And shouting even loader.
“HEY! Give him BACK!!!” she said at the top of her lungs.

And that was when the frying pan hit the thug with the hook on the head. He turned around giving a glare at Rapunzel. The other thugs had stopped their brawl too.

“Would you look at all of your selves and even stop and think of what you’re doing is wrong. Haven’t any of you had a dream that you wanted to talk about trying to accomplish in life? Instead of wasting time fighting and beating each other up every day?” Said Rapunzel.
She huffed a bit at the speech she had just given to everyone in the room being a bit out of breath.

The thugs then gathered around but before that they hung up Flynn on some antlers of a bucks head. And put John down next to me.

“I would like to talk about a dream I have had for a long time.” Said the thug with the hook.

“Oh boy?” said Flynn.

All the thugs in the room then turned to him and said “Shuuu!” and then went back to hearing the hook thug.

“My dream was to someday become a pianist and play the best songs that where ever made in history. And to even become famous one day all across the land. That is my dream.”

Then another thug came into the center of the group. He talked about how he wished he could find true love even though he was very ugly and scared a lot of people with his looks. He had a heart of a child. That was his dream.

By this time Karin, Lee, John, and myself had become at ease around the thugs and saw that their outer looks did not matter that on the inside they were and seemed to be very good hearted humans.

After we heard one thug saying he wanted to be a mime. I really began to smile.

And another one wanted to one day have a bakery and cell cupcakes to people.

By the time we got through every one the Thugs then took Flynn down and asked or rather made him talk about what his dream was.
“I don’t have a dream. Matter of fact I don’t even dream.” Said Flynn holding up his hands refusing to talk.

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That was when the thugs were about to hit him in the face, when he said, “Okay, okay, my dream would happen some place worm and sunny. And not be so touchy and feely like all your dreams. It would happen on a small island that I would own, and I would be all alone, and sounded by tons and tons of money. Okay.”

“Oh, oh I’ve got a dream I would like to share.” Said Rapunzel with a giggle.

She got up on the table and cleared her throat so everyone could hear her.
“My dream is to see the flouting lantern’s gleam, and every passing hour I am getting happier that I chose to leave my tower. That is my own little dream.”

Everyone in the room had cheered for Rapunzel’s dream. The next thing I knew was the hooked thug came up to John and asked, “What is your dream goggled boy?”

I could not help but smirk at that remark goggled boy. Now that was funny.

John gave a cough and then stood up. “My dream is to help people with their own dreams. Like Rapunzel, and to make sure there is happiness around everyone.” John then sat back down.

The thugs gave a good cheer to John and our captain smiled proudly.

“Um…I would like to go next.” Said Karin. “That is if no one minds?” she continued.

The thugs all went awww. At how polite and sweet Karin was asking. And so too told us what her dream was.

“My dream would be to one day be together with all of my friends and family and living in peace and harmony. Oh and one more thing, To be the best that I can be at helping healing people with medicine and to make sure they too will be happy and healthy. That is my biggest dream of all.” Said Karin. She even gave a little bow to everyone before sitting down again.

Everyone clapped and looked happy to hear Karin’s dreams.

“Let me go next please.” Said an excited Lee. He then began. “My dream would to someday open a place to help young boys and girls that have no place to go. So they can get back up on their feet and live good lives. I’d also do my best to help them with their own dreams for the future lives they will have as adults. That is my dream I really want to make come true!” Lee looked really determined and very pleased with what he told everyone.

The whole room cheered again as Lee sat back down. Of course I was the last one to go out of my group of friends. I felt nerves and shy all of a sudden. Which was something that never happens to often to me. I really did not know what I would say. I really never thought of any big dreams like everyone in the room had shared and talked about. I was more of go with the flow. But I had to say something.

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Rapunzel looked at me gently with her big green eyes, and waved her hand at me a bit. Indicating it was okay to talk and not be so shy around everyone. I took in a deep breath of air and then stood up in front of everyone in the pub.

“W-well… for everyone’s dreams that I have listen to today, has been very fun and enjoyable. A-as for…my own dream, I don’t have any big ones like everyone has shared about today. In fact I really never thought about what my biggest dream would be like?” that was when I posed for a bit to see how everyone would react.

Karin got up and took my hand gently and said to me, “Don’t worry Miss. Rin-chan. Not everyone has a big dream they know of right away. Some people take time to find that dream for themselves. Am I right everyone?”

“Yeah!” all the thugs cried out together.

“But even if you have a dream and it is not a big. You can tell us a small dream you might have in mind.” Said Rapunzel.

I nodded my head then said, “Well there might be one that could someday become a big dream for me.”
Lee asked, “What is it then Rin?”

“Yeah I would sure like to know now too.” Said John.

“Okay well, my small dream then I guess for now would be to find out who I really am. But not just that. I really want to find out who I am and what my meaning of living is all about. So I can know the truth and hopefully one day to look back on my old self and say, yes I have found my reason for living and I know it is more meaningful than anything else to me.” I posed for moment and then asked everyone in the room who I knew and who I did not know, “Do you all think that small dream will become a big dream someday for me?”

The room was silent for only a second and then everyone in the room clapped their hands and cheered for my dream. Rapunzel came up to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

She said, “I think that dream is already a very big and special dream to you Rin.”

I could feel my face lighting up and a huge grin on spreading across my lips. I felt very happy that moment those words were said to me. I never thought something I thought of so often would make me feel wonderful about myself before. Those thought that always lingered in my mind now seemed to have a bigger meaning to them than they did before.

I then razed my arms up in the air and shouted out “YAHOO!” Everyone in the room was over joyed it seemed. Until someone cried out, “Royal guards are coming this way!”

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“Oh no.” said Flynn, “We got to get out of here now you guys or we are in deep sea water.”

We all got behind the bars counter as fast as we could because seconds later the door came busting open. I peeked over the right side of the bar and saw at least a dozen royal guards pushing their way in. I was then pulled down by John so I would not give away our hide out.

“Are you trying to get us busted Rin?!” said John in a sharp low town of voice. He looked very worried about the situation we had all gotten into now.

“Sorry I did not mean to.” I said with a whisper.

Just then the guards where talking to some of the thugs and while that was going on the hooked thug had somehow gotten behind the bar too. He pushed a lever that had a little yellow duck for the handle down and that was when a secret door opened below the flooring.
It was a dark looking tunnel but I could see just fine. It must have led somewhere out. I was brought back out of my thoughts when the hooked thug said to everyone, “You must hurry go down this path way and it will lead you outside to safety. Also one other thing boy’s girls go and live your dreams.”

“I shall.” Said Flynn.

“I was not including your dream. It stinks.” Said the hooked thug.

“Let hurry everyone.” Said John as we crawled through the path way until we were all able to stand up right.

We walked for a few moments in silence, after that a few more moments went by until it seemed that Flynn could not take the silence anymore.

“Okay we got to get out of this tunnel as fast as we can everyone. Are you ready Blonde?” said Flynn.

“Well I would go a bit faster but my hair.” Said Rapunzel.

“Maybe you should get it cut?” suggested Lee.

“NO! I will never cut my hair.” Said Rapunzel, she grabbed her hair as if her life depended on it.

Pascal popped out and sat on the frying pan giving Lee a cold hard look with his eye.

Lee took a step back and said, “Sorry I did not mean to make you mad.”

Right after Lee had said that I began to hear something coming towards us. Then the ground began to shake a bit with in the caved walls. Then I heard something I wish I did not hear. Footsteps and angry shots coming our way.

“Hey guys,” I began to say, “GUYS!!!” I then shouted.

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Finally they all turned around in a panic state and looking at me for why I yelled?

“The guards I can hear them coming….” I said with panic rising in my voice.

“What are you talking about Rin?” said an angry sounding John.

Just then the walls began to shake all around us and now everyone could hear the running of footsteps coming our way down the tunnel.

“Run of it!” cried out John.

We all bolted down the tunnel as we saw the guards not too far behind us. Moments later we saw daylight up head of the tunnel. We ran all the way until we made it outside again but it was a dead end for just feet in front of us was a cliff.

“Holy smokes.” Said Lee, “Now how are we going to get out of here?”

That was when an idea hit me. I grabbed Lee and Karin one person in each arm.

“Hey Rin what the hell are you doing?” said a frantic Lee.

“No time to explain.” I said as I ran straight towards the edge of the cliff. That was when both Lee and Karin gave out a good scream as I jumped down.
I landed on my feet with a light crunching sound of the earth beneath me. I put both Lee and Karin down and they looked to be in a state of shock. But at the same time relived that they were in once peace.

“John…” I called out to our captain who was looking down at us with pear disbelieve that I had just did that in front of him. “John jump down ill ketch you.” I told him.

“Are you insane Rin?” He called out.

By this time the guards had all come out of the cave and Flynn and Rapunzel where still up there.

“We don’t have time John. Just trust me.” I called out to him.

“Oh boy I must be as insane as this girl.” Said John, he then took 2 steps back and jumped forward off the cliff.

I then ran to him and a moment later he landed in my arms. I put him down, by this time Rapunzel had made her way down with her hair and Flynn was swinging down with it.

John then said to me, “We will talk about your actions after we get out of this mess.” He sounded very upset by what I had done.

But it was the only thing I could think of, of the time. I just hope we could get out of this gorge and fast!   

Chapter 17 end.