Disclaimer: "The Legend of Arislan" belongs to someone else, but I couldn't tell you who if my life depended on it - I've never actually seen it, only heard about it. And the others - Milo, Crazy Old Gretchen, Bob, and "I" - are mine, so don't steal them! _______________________________________________________ Part Four: The Legend of Bob the Duck Head by Ami-chan Blinking didn't seem to help, either. All it did was further confirm that there WAS a sword pressed to my neck. "Please, don't kill me!" I whimpered pathetically, not knowing what else to do. After all I'd been through - to hell and back, even - I didn't want to die NOW! "Daryoon, it's just a little girl. Stop that." I wanted to protest; I wasn't JUST a "little girl"! I wasn't even that little! But, having your life threatened kind of changes your normal reactions, and I reminded wide-eyed and silent. "But she just . . .appeared! She could be some sort of witch or sorceress!" "But I'm NOT!" I yelped in shock, desperate, as the blade drew closer. "Then what are you doing here?" "I don't know! I'm just a normal, everyday kid! This shouldn't be happening to me!" I knew I was babbling, but at this point, I didn't care. As long as it prolonged by life, or got him to spare me, I would gladly make of fool of myself. "I was just following Crazy Old Gretchen! I shouldn't have, but I did! Then, there was Milo, and Bob the duck head-" "The Bob the duck head?" I blinked in confusion as the blade was pulled away from my frail little neck with its panic-pounding blood veins. "Yeah, Bob the duck head," I repeated dumbly. "Is there another?" "How do you know about Crazy Old Gretchen and Bob the duck head?" he demanded as I slinked carefully away in case he decided to rid me of my head as poor Bob had been. "Crazy Old Gretchen lived in my town." "And what town did you live in?" the other, nicer, guy asked me. "Anywhere But Marietta." "Okay. But, I wanted to know the name of the town." I blinked, nodding slowly. "That's it; Anywhere But Marietta." "We figure that out, already!" Daryoon growled, the sword's blade going back to my throat. "The town's name!" I broke into tears, sobbing brokenly. It had NOT been a good day! Luckily, my reaction shocked him into withdrawing the blade again, and after a few deep breaths I was once again sort of in control of myself. "The name of the town IS Anywhere But Marietta," I repeated, sniffling. "I don't know why, it just IS!" "I've never heard of it before. Have you, Narsus?" For the first time, the sword-yielding guy sounded quite likable. Then again, I wasn't thinking of him as being likable or not when he had the sword to my throat. "Never." He turned his attention back to me, and I shrank back in fear. "Do you know the legend of Bob the duck head?" I sighed. He wasn't going to kill me after all. "There's a legend about a moldy old duck head?" I shrieked sharply as the sword returned to my throat. What had I said THIS time?! "You will not insult Bob like that!" "Calm down, Daryoon. She obviously doesn't know any better." "Yes, yes! You're right! I don't!" Once again, my life was spared, and I sighed, trembling violently at my . . .um . . .third? . . .brush with death. "Can you explain? What did I say wrong?" I had no desire to be put in danger again. I wasn't really interesting in knowing, but if it saves my life, why not? "You really don't know the legend of Bob the duck head?" I shook my head. "Should I?" "Everyone knows the legend of Bob the duck head!" I crossed my arms, shifting to a more comfortable position - I'd appeared on my knees on a rather hard table - and pouted. "Well, I haven't!" "Would you like to?" Hmmm . . .risk death, or hear a niffty story? "Uh-huh!" I wasn't that stupid! "Well, it all started . . ." ********** The land was happy and rich! All was right with the world, and it was all thanks to one creature: Bob the magical duck. You see, Bob the magical duck's life force kept the land rich, and there was always enough rain and food to go around. The people took care of and cherished Bob the magical duck, and- ********** "Bob the magical duck? I thought we were talking about Bob the duck head!" "We are! Shut up so I can finish!" ********** -because of that, Bob the magical duck continued to use his mystical power to aid the people But then, one horrible day, a wicked dark shadow (no, not the Dynesty, something much worse) covered the land, and the people knew fear. You see- ********** "Was it a Hoho? Like in those commercials? It always seems to be a giant Hoho, and then it turns out to be-" "Do you want to die, or something?" ********** -it was (dramatic music) Crazy Old Gretchen! The Evil One herself had appeared! She had heard about the wealth and happiness of the land and- ********** "Hey, what's so funny?" "'The Evil One herself'?" I giggled hysterically, imagining a supper-deformed Crazy Old Gretchen swinging her cane and smacking people over the head. It certainly wasn't a very terrifying image. ********** -wanted to see the cause of it. No one was allowed to be that happy! Crazy Old Gretchen strolled through town- ********** "Wait! 'Strolled'? Don't you mean 'hovered'?" "Huh?" "She CAN'T walk! She hovers in her little old rocking chair!" "Hmm . . .well, she wasn't in a rocking chair this time. Maybe that happened later." "Whatever." ********** -and at first no one noticed. She began to comment about the beauty of the land, and eventually discovered the secret: Bob the magical duck. What power this creature had to make everything so pure and lovely! She decided she wanted that power for herself! And, at first, she was uncertain what she should do to gain this power. Then, it came to her! Why not destroy the duck head and absorb it's power? Poor, unsuspecting Bob the magical duck had no idea what was coming. He was happy and the people were content; that's all he needed to know. Why would anyone ever wish to hurt him? He was Bob the magical duck, after all! And then, the evil ax-wielding Crazy Old Gretchen raised her bloody ax and ended the life of Bob the magical duck. She then took the decapitated duck head and set it atop her cane, declaring it to be Bob the duck head, to further insult us and his greatness. ********** "Ewww!! That's sick!" I wrinkled my nose at the thought of all that blood dripping down the cane and on to the ground . . .yuk. "Yes, her destruction of such a sacred creature is sick." Well, that wasn't exactly what I had meant, but not wanting to lose my head like Bob the magical duck, I kept silent. I started to wonder what was going to happen next. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. I knew about the legend of Bob the duck head, but where did that put me? And how the hell had I gotten here in the first place?! What was going on here?! I was about to ask one of the guys where I was, at least, but I found them staring at me in horror. What? Hadn't I brushed my hair that morning? Was there something caught in my teeth? Glancing down, I saw that I was fading out. I was demateralizing! I screamed, "Not again!" and wondered where I was going to end up next. And all the while hell was beginning to look better and better . . . _______________________________________________________ Do you wish to question my sanity? Or, prehaps, share in the delight of the story and all the loveable characters? Then, e-mail me at [email protected] I'll try to respond as quickly as I am able! ^-^ |