Marvela Mystic | ✔️

Chapter 6 ✨ Up a Tree

Marvela wasn't sure what she had expected when she raced after Curious, but it sure wasn't... this. 

Panting, the pair found themselves perched atop a rickety plank fence, peering down into what appeared to be a rolling sea of orange and green—an endless field of the plumpest pumpkins the kitten had ever seen. All lay slumbering beneath covers of twisting vines and broad emerald leaves covered in sparkling dewdrops, as if dreaming of the moment they'd get their candlelit grin. And guarding over the enormous guards was a worn, old scarecrow. Straw stuck out of the old flannel shirt that barely supported his slumping and sagging form, but even he still sported a pleasant stitched smile. Marvela's eyes widened in wonder. Curious grinned from ear to furry ear.

"Here it is!" he decreed, arms held wide before the sleeping orange giants. "Vigilance's enormous trove of treasures! Isn't it wonderful?"

Marvela clapped over her giggling mouth, barely containing her awe. "Curious, this is amazing!"

"Told you that this town loves everything Halloween related," the rat teased, sticking his tongue out at her. "This is a magical place that has everything tasty you could possibly want, not just pumpkins! Oh, back in the Belowground, the other rats would return with so many delectable treasures they found in this place!" He pointed a pink finger into the rolling landscape of knobby gourds and vines. "And look! There's a bone!"

Marvela's bright orange eyes followed his pointing claw, and, sure enough, there was an old bone nestled snugly in a metal dish on the ground in front of an old shack. It was almost like it had been waiting for them. She let out a laugh at their good fortune.

"Great!" she hollered. Tail wiggling, she braced herself to jump from the fence and fetch the bone. "Let's go get it!

Curious held out a paw to stop her. He scanned the fenced yard, eyes shifty and tail writhing. "Uh... Hold on a second. You really don't want to be diving in like that."

Marvela scoffed at the fidgeting rat, puffing out her star-spotted chest. "Why? Are the pumpkins gonna bite us?" With a giggle, she swatted his paw away and lightly landed in the soil on the other side of the fence.

The rat above her flinched, baring his teeth in a grimace. "No!" he screeched. "But they might!"

The kitten pivoted her ears toward the sounds of rattling chains. From the shadows beside the ramshackle shack came two howling rottweilers. Their hackles were raised, and their white fangs glistened in the sunlight amongst globules of flying drool. Rusty chains affixed to their collars dragged behind them as they charged at the kitten.

Marvela immediately ducked low to the ground, eyes huge and fur raised. "Um... H-hi there!" she mewled as she froze in fear as the beastly dogs approached at full speed. "Sorry for the intrusion, but we need—"

Both snarling dogs yelped as the chains that restrained them snapped tautly, keeping them at a safe distance from the kitten. Marvela glanced at the bone in the dish that was closer to the dogs than her. She didn't suppose the two brutes would be willing to haggle for it like the creatures of Grudgewood Forest.

"No!" barked one of the drooling mongrels whose spiked collar was labeled as Knife. "No trespassing!"

"Read the signs, cat!" snapped the other, dubbed Blade. "Get lost!"

As the dogs struggled against their chains, Marvela raced back up the fence to stand alongside Curious. Smoothing down her raised fur with her tongue, she took note of the bright yellow 'NO TRESPASSING' and 'BEWARE OF DOGS' signs. That's what I get for leaping before looking, the kitten thought to herself sullenly. Just when she'd started to warm up to Vigilance, it proved yet again to be a ghastly place. She made a mental note to listen to Curious next time.