And so it ends. However, I hate my ending. Please help!

Disclaimer: It's all mine! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Enjoy! I think…

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Chapter 11 - In Which The Official Rescuers Are Un-successful While the Inadvertent Rescuers are Successful and the Official Rescuers Get Annoyed Accordingly and After a While People Decide to Just Leave it at That and Everyone Ignores the Fact that the Title Makes No Sense Once Again

"Look!" Samot cried from Marie's apron, pointing a skinny, green leg to a cloud of pink and baby blue smoke around a drooping net hanging from a tree.

"What the hell is that?" Marie inquired.

"Echinam," Samot declared. Marie looked down at him and raised her eyebrows.

"Echinam?"

"Yes. The Dreaded Genie of the Cucumber Forest," Samot replied. "He's a bit eccentric."

"I have a question," Marie informed Samot. He looked at her inquiringly. "Just how many of these dreaded people are there in this kingdom and why have I never heard of them?"

"Well, most large areas have them. The Cucumber Forest, Sparkling Falls, Elongated Desert, etc. And there are many different types. There are Dreaded Witches, Wizards, Warlocks, Hags, Genies, Giants, Dragons, Unicorns, Centaurs, you name it. The only requirement is to be able to do magic. Not all of them are evil, of course, just the majority. As to why you've never heard of them. Well, because no one really understands the Crystal Lake, no Dreadeds dare live nearby for fear of some effect on their magic. Milady's the closest one," Samot explained calmly.

"I see," Marie looked overwhelmed. "Well, where will he have taken Christy and my brother?"

"To the famous Echinam's Dungeon. Supposedly the decoration is abominable. Unfortunately, I have no idea where it is," Samot replied.

"So what do you suggest we do?"

"Well, we should go on a quest to find an animal of the forest, hope that it's only the squirrels that refuse to give directions, and then rescue Bob and Christy," Samot suggested. Marie simply nodded and they moved on.

***

Milady looked around at the clearing that Samot and Marie had just vacated. "Good gods," she muttered. "Christy's in Echinam's Dungeon!"

Asopar looked worriedly at her. "Poor girl," he murmured in an uncharacteristic reply, not bothering to ask how Milady knew. Then again, to wish another person into Echinam's Dungeon is a considered a felony in the Kingdom of Esperança. But Milady didn't hear. She had already disappeared and only a cloud of pink smoke remained.

***

"And another thing, wardrobes with lions painted on them are so in, not to mention paintings of clowns and feeding your enemies to locusts—you'll be suffering that shortly—, and…" Echinam the Dreaded Genie of the Cucumber Forest babbled. Christy moaned. Bob snored. Suddenly, an elephant trumpeted. Bob woke up with a start.

"Oh, that's the doorbell. Elephant sounds are in too," Echinam explained as he left the dungeon, locked the door, and went to answer the door just as Milady the Dreaded Witch of the Cucumber Forest appeared in the dungeon.

"Mom!" Christy cried joyfully.

"Hello, dear. And who is this?"

"This is Bob—did you just call me dear?"

"Yes, I did," Milady replied cheerfully. 

"But, why?" Christy demanded.

"Because I know all about your façade!" Milady exclaimed cheerfully. "Now, let's go before Echinam realizes that no one's at the door," she added, zapping their bonds with a flick of her hand.

Right on cue Echinam entered the dungeon again. "YOU! You, Milady, Dreaded Witch of the Cucumber Forest, you are not in! You—" But they never found out just what was Milady was since all three disappeared at that very moment.

***

"Well, according to that badger we asked this should be the place," Marie commented, knocking on a tree.

"There's a doorbell over there," Samot informed her, pointing. Marie rolled her eyes and pushed the doorbell. The sound of elephants trumpeting resounded through the nearby forest.

"OK…"

A couple seconds later the door opened to reveal a bright purple genie wearing a pink and baby blue hat. "Yes?" he demanded irritably.

"We are here inquiring on the whereabouts of a certain Bob Jones and Christy, apprentice Dreaded Witch," Samot informed him in his most pompous voice.

"Oh are you? Well they're gone! Taken! They were taken by that out-Dreaded Witch known as…Milady. She just comes in and—" Samot and Marie had disappeared.

How dare she? Marie thought to herself as they hurried to find the way to Milady's lair, dreading the fate of unsuccessful questers

***

"Oh, it's so good to be home," Christy sighed as she collapsed onto a sofa in the living room on the second floor.

"Is it now?" drawled a familiar voice behind her. "So I suppose that after spending four hours looking for news of the dungeon where Your Excellency was trapped and then going and risking life, limb, and sanity to rescue her from the clutches of Echinam, Dreaded Genie of the Cucumber Forest, one deserves at least to be able to actually rescue someone. But no. All that work for nothing," Marie spluttered.

"Marie!" Bob cried jumping into her arms. He looked at her solemnly. "Thank you for attempting to rescue me."

"See, the boy is grateful," Samot pointed out, hoping to stem Marie's sudden spurt of anger.

"I'm a Dreaded Witch, I don't need to thank anyone," Christy replied loftily.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Don't need any friends either, eh?" Marie snapped.

"Well, those I need," Christy admitted grudgingly after a long silence.

"You're about to lose them," Samot and Marie both replied at the same time. Marie turned around and was about to leave only to find her passage blocked by Milady the Dreaded Witch of the Cucumber Forest and Asopar.

"Brother?" Asopar inquired of Samot's head. Samot jumped from Marie's pocket into Asopar's open hands. Marie winced. He could warn me before he does that, she complained silently.

"Samot!" Milady snapped. "Why aren't you in the cellar?"

"Uh…" Milady snapped her fingers and Samot disappeared.

"He's my brother!" Asopar protested.

"You can visit him in the cellar where he will remain until he agrees to be kissed by my daughter," Milady replied.

"But I don't want to kiss Samot," Christy whined.

"Nonsense, it's what you've always dreamed of!" Milady replied, astonished.

"Not anymore," Christy answered, glaring.

"Anyway, that doesn't matter," Milady brushed the matter aside, unable to deal with her daughter's sudden stubborn streak. "What is going on here?"

"Christy won't apologize for not being there when Marie went to rescue her and therefore not letting Marie fulfill her quest to rescue us," Bob replied instantly.

"I see," Milady smiled maliciously. "Christy, apologize, and then I shall see you in the study. Marie, you and your brother will go down and fix the berry bushes. Come Asopar," and she swept majestically out of the room.

"Sorry," Christy said shortly.

"Apology accepted," Marie replied just as shortly before leaving the room with Bob trailing behind her.

Christy ran after her. "I really am sorry!" she cried, grabbing Marie by the arm.

Marie took a deep breath. "Count the seven dwarves!" Bob whispered loudly, pulling on her sleeve. Marie smiled. "I know," she told Christy. And they walked down to the berry bushes hand in hand.

And the lake smiled. So they thought it was going to be a happy ending, eh? The lake wasn't finished with them yet…

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And neither is the author…

The sequel will come as soon as it's revised. Please review! I need help!