Plesure Pain and Sugarblast! (English)

Chapter thirteen - Surprise!

The flapping of wings grew louder again!

The beast seemed to be getting closer. All this time Chester hadn't just imagined it. They were indeed being followed. A monster that at first had preferred to lurk hidden in the shadows, but ever since they rode the mine wagon at breakneck speed, it had been hot on their heels, screeching loudly.

It had hit the car twice, leaving deep scratch marks that were hard to see but clearly to feel in the old wood.

Sweat beaded Chester's forehead as he repeatedly fired blindly into the darkness. As long as they couldn't see whatever was chasing them, they were clearly at a disadvantage.

"Chester!" He turned and froze for one more time today.

"Didn't we almost have it all? But I guess we now know why this mine is so deserted."

A chasm opened before them! The rails ran a few more meters over the huge hole before they ended and hung towards the deep.

Again, Chester heard the flutter of the creature close by his ear and threw more missiles. A scream was heard. Sounded like he got the beast this time.

"Okay, no panic, we can do this!" he said as the mine cart hurtled towards the chasm. In his head, though, he knew there was no way they could do it. Even if the gorge wasn't very deep, they only had to fall stupidly to be dead on the spot. No healing candy in the world could help them then. What's more, they were being pursued by a winged monster!

Damn, damn, damn, damn! he thought in his head.

What should we do? We must do something! Otherwise, we die! How should we please...

"SUPERCHRASH!!!"

Mandy activated her Super, pointed her staff at the ground, waited until they were only seconds from falling... and pulled the trigger.

***

The force of the sugar jet blasted the rocks in front of the chasm and threw the minecart through the air, to the other side, while the tunnel roof collapsed behind them. On the other side, for some reason, there were no more rails and so the wagon just slid along the tunnel over the stone floor.

Chester used his second Super and the mine wagon stopped so abruptly that it tipped over and rolled over several times before finally stopping and he and Mandy falling out.

"Dang, I just wanted to slow it down." The prankster straightened up and looked at the stone wall behind which was the moat. "Looks like that way is blocked now. Whatever was behind us is now locked in."

A grin crossed his lips.

"Sudden chasms, collapsing walls and creepy winged creatures chasing you: Surprise! Better than any Brawliwood movie! Maybe Lola and Gray should shoot down here..."

A sob silenced him. Mandy sat huddled against the lopsided wagon, her head buried in her knees again.

"Mandy?! Oh no, no, no, no! Please don't cry, please!" he called worried and sank down next to her. "The joke wasn't that bad, was it?!"

She looked at him. Although she was shaking, she managed to speak miraculous clearly.

"As a small child, a bat gave me a terrifying fright. The little beast somehow got into my bedroom and fluttered all over my face while I was sleeping. That experience is one reason why I'm... scared of the dark."

She still found it difficult to show weakness in front of her hated friend.

"Those, those were bat wings. But the thing was so... so... so big."

Tears ran down her cheeks, Chester put his hands on her face to wipe them away. Sobbing, Mandy let her head sink against his chest.

"Mandy.", he whispered.

"Hm?"

"Your crown. She pricks me!"

"Put her down," was her short reply, so he untied the crown from her hair before pulling his sweet hard closer and resting his chin on her head.

"Everything is alright. I'm here."