Home Alone in Pure Heart Valley

Chapter 8

Meanwhile at another house, Reggie had just finished up with the last of the looting. Just before leaving, he made sure to turn on the taps of a nearby kitchen sink, snickering all the while. He excited the house and got into the aerotruck where Rufus waited in the driver's seat. Rufus turned to notice the strangely mischievous behavior Reggie was displaying. "Reg, what's so funny?"

Reggie didn't say anything, but maintained his wide grin. Somehow, that told Rufus enough of what he needed to know. "You did it again, did you? What's the matter with you?"

"It's a way to bother the sheriff when he gets back," Reggie explained himself innocently while Rufus started the engine. "What better way to get back at him than give him work right after his vacation?"

Rufus mused on Reggie's justification as he maneuvered the aerotruck while it flew up high and above in the air. "Hmm, I suppose that would work. Give him an extra report to write up, extra complaints from Sweetypies to listen to...but it still doesn't feel quite enough to make him pay."

As Rufus was deep in his thoughts and Reggie occupied himself with examining the treasures he and his partner recently raided, neither noticed a little blue bat flying perpendicular of their path.

Adorabat was flying on her own, lost in her own thoughts about her recent filter attempt to bust Orangusnake. She couldn't understand how her own people would think he'd be nice when he's already shown himself to be anything but. He was a pirate. He couldn't be trusted. If he was being nice, he was pretending. Yes, that's exactly what it is. No doubt about it. She's right and everyone's wrong.

Neither Rufus and Reggie or Adorabat noticed themselves gradually heading into each other's paths. It only took Reggie moving his eyes up just for a second for him to yell to Rufus. "Whoa, hey! Rufus, stop!"

Rufus heard his partner's voice in a timely manner, turning his attention back ahead of the aerotruck and stomping on the brakes. Even though the vehicle was in the air, it somehow made a skidding sound as it came to a stop, while at the same time, Adorabat noticed the aerotruck in time to see it coming for her at a speed high enough to make her scream. Luckily for her, the truck stopped just inches from her nose, at the very least not shocking her enough to make her stop flapping her wings which kept her in the sky. Rufus and Reggie, on the other hand, looked both visibly relieved and exhausted over having just avoided a mid-air collision.

Adorabat didn't want to stay any longer, so she got ready to fly away and keep going until she reached home. But she was stopped by a voice calling to her from behind. "Hey! You there!"

Somehow, the sound of the voice was what made her stop in her tracks, freezing as her brain instantly registered a feeling similar to recognition. She slowly turned her head to let a corner of her eye take a look at the man who called her, not wanting to show her whole face. From what she could make of what she saw in the corner of her eye, the sight was strikingly familiar.

Fortunately, the two men weren't quite as quick. "You need to watch where you're going," Rufus said to the flying bat child in front of him.

Adorabat thought it best to play along. "Sorry."

Rufus noticed Reggie scooting just over him to get his head closer to the driver's window. He wanted to say something to Adorabat as well. "The Gift-Saint don't visit the funeral home, kiddo," Reggie politely told her.

Adorabat couldn't help but give a little smile at how warmly humorous that statement was, even if she did turn her head to the truck a little bit more.

Rufus thought it best to just let it go and not further complicate the situation unnecessarily. He put on his signature gentlemanly face and posture, the kind that he had not used since last leaving Pure Heart Valley, and gave his own parting greeting. "Have a Happy Snowfest."