The Land of Stories ☆ The Not-So-Happily Ever After

Chapter 3

Charlie woke up to the sound of cheering and laughing- not to mention, baahhing. As in the sound sheep make. So what? Maybe there's sheep around... in the woods.

"The girl is awake! Let the feasting begin!" A voice announced. It sounded like a hyena being strangled, then put through musical fine-tuning to make it  sound more sheep-like.

Suddenly, an overwhelming number of shadows turned to look at her. She tried to stand, but then realised that she was tied to a tree. It was too tight to wriggle out of, and her arms were squashed next to her.

Looking up, she saw the tribe of mutant goats gathered around a fire, and was too scared to scream.

Why alien goats? Anything but alien goats, she thought.

They seemed to be chanting something, like a spell. All huddled around the campfire, they almost looked like a blob, if I squinted.

"It is time to eat human flesh!" One of them said.

"I want her head!" Another yelled.
They were going to cut Charlie up like a cake. This was some serious mafia business.

They started to trot over to me- was that what they even do? Do goats trot?

"Stop!" She screamed. She had no plan, but anything was better than being eaten alive.

A few of them slowed down, but they didn't seem to have much interest in what Charlie was saying.

"Please! What are you?! Where am I?"

They just bleated, which Charlie guessed was laughing.

"Can't w-we just eat her later? We've still got the Rosary Chicken to eat, and I don't want to b-be full up for it!" A little goat said from the corner. He looked like he'd been crying.

"Oh, shut up, Beedee. You  were the one who brought her here in the first place!
Why don't you have the first bite?" Another said, a cruel smile spread on her goaty mouth.

"I...I d-don't really feel like it. I might turn in, actually." Beedee looked nervous, as if he was scared of something nearby...

"You don't have the guts, do you?!"
The goat nearest to me jeered,
"I'm hungry, and I'm getting angry, so I'm going to eat NOW!"

Before he could tuck in, Charlie thought of an idea.

"Wait! There's a word for that, you know. Being hungry and angry at the same time."

This was a huge gamble. Who knew if they believed what she was going to say?

"Anyone who knows this word will never be hungry again! I  haven't had to eat in years!"

The goats looked at one another in bewilderment.
Note to self: goats were extremely easy to impress, she thought.

"Tell us, please!" One said from the campfire.

"Yes, give us this power!" Another said.

"I will- on one condition. You have to let me go, first." Charlie said. She was pretty amazed at herself. She was going to get of here in a heartbeat!

The goats agreed, and untied the ropes. How did they do it with hooves, you ask? Charlie had no idea.

"So, what's the word?" A little goat said excitedly.

"Hangry." And she ran into the woods.