The Daily Life of a Grey Kacheek

      She wasn’t sure how long her nap lasted. The Kacheek was jolted awake by a sudden and rough stop that dumped her unceremoniously on the floor of the carriage. When she had fallen asleep, it was still light out, but now a thick darkness filled the carriage. The Neopet who had shared the carriage with her was gone. Outside, there was no sound but the whistling of the wind through the trees. Olivia rubbed her head where it had connected with the floor. She had expected to wake up comfortably in Neopia Central. This was not how things were supposed to go.

      Olivia painfully rose to her feet and dusted herself off. With a heavy sigh, she exited the carriage, taking a few steps down with caution in the dark. The only light was provided by the lanterns that hung on the front of the carriage. She approached them to ask the driver what was going on. However, when she reached the front of the carriage, the driver was gone. Their harness lay empty and discarded on the ground. Olivia did a turn to survey her surroundings, but was greeted with nothing but the darkness of the forest.

      The Kacheek’s ears perked up with the sound of rattling chains. She turned back to the front of the carriage, expecting to see the Uni driver lifting the harness. But nobody was there. She scanned her surroundings and found nothing. Then the rattling sound returned, louder this time. Olivia jumped, her heart beating fast. She backed up against the carriage, hoping that the structure would protect her somehow. Never before had she been alone in the woods like this. A chill went up her spine, followed by a cackle that started quiet and gradually got louder. Now shaking slightly, Olivia resolved to hide in the carriage until someone came for her.

      She opened the carriage door and took the first step to get inside. A loud and eerie laugh followed her from the dark. She hurried up the second step, eager to get inside. As she closed the door, the laugh joined her inside the dark carriage. Finally alone, the spectre showed itself. It was a ghost Quiggle, wrapped in chains and bandages. The ghost was grinning as it floated toward Olivia, who had backed into the corner with her eyes wide in terror. She watched helplessly as the laughing ghost reached out for her. Covering her eyes, she was surrounded by a frosty cold. She expected.. Something. To be hurt, or maybe to disappear entirely. Instead, the coins in her pocket jingled as the ghost cackled one last time. Then, it disappeared with all the Neopoints Olivia had.

      She was stunned for a moment. Then she allowed herself a loud groan at her bad luck. Stranded in the woods and robbed by a ghost was by far the worst position she had ever found herself in. Alone in the carriage, with her fur still standing up in shock, she reflected on all the days she had laid in her comfortable bed in the Neolodge feeling sorry for herself. She had lamented her life as dull and depressing. She had never imagined it could get any worse, and yet, here she was. With a sigh, Olivia realized there was no use staying in the carriage. There was no way she was going back to sleep. She collected her fire Ogrin plushie off the floor and stashed it in her backpack. With no other options, Olivia was going to walk.

      She hoisted her backpack over her shoulders and exited the carriage. The forest was still just as dark as it was before, but the chill had subsided now that the ghost was gone. Olivia was almost comfortable in her hoodie. Almost, were it not for the road that stretched into the shadows on both sides of her. Anxiety started to bubble up inside her stomach, creeping up her throat. She could either head south back toward Faerieland, although she wasn’t sure how far it was, or north towards Neopia Central. The Kacheek would admit she wasn’t exactly a genius, but she knew from the few books she’d read that there was more civilization on the north end of the continent than the south. Plus, she’d been in the carriage long enough to develop a cramp in her neck from sleeping upright. Weighing her options, Olivia decided to follow the road in the direction the carriage was heading, hoping that it was due north as it was intended. There were two lanterns hanging on the front of the carriage, and she took one to guide her way.

      With a deep breath, Olivia began to walk, one foot in front of the other. Her eyes were good, but even with the lantern, she couldn’t see more than a few yards in front of her. The pavement of the street and her own two feet were really the only things she could see clearly. She willed herself forward with determination. Her nerves were still buzzing with adrenaline from the scare the ghost had given her, so she moved pretty quickly. It was unsatisfying to walk and for her surroundings not to change, but with a glance over her shoulder she could tell the other lantern light from the carriage was quite a ways back. She continued to walk. Her thoughts quickly began to spiral. Where was she? How long could she walk? What would happen if she couldn’t walk anymore? Could anything possibly worse happen?

      Olivia’s mental fall down a Cybunny hole was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. They were light and quick, somewhere off the road near the tree line. Olivia paused. She didn’t want any more trouble, but she was curious. There were a few more light footsteps, each one slightly louder than the last as whatever was creeping around walked in Olivia’s direction. She resolved to investigate the sound, still somewhat emboldened by adrenaline. As she approached the edge of the road, she could see a shape in the grass. Holding up her lantern revealed a tiny pink Meepit staring right at her with its big round eyes.

      Shamefully, Olivia’s first thought was of Neopoints. Meepits were rare, and this particular specimen would fetch a nice price at auction. She could go from poor to filthy rich within an hour. So, Olivia leaned down and tried to call over the Meepit. She cooed and said “pspsps” and rubbed her hands together. The Meepit blinked, once, and took another few steps toward her. Olivia grinned. She called out again to the Meepit. It came a little closer, almost to the edge of the road where Olivia was waiting. Then, the Meepit opened its mouth slowly. The Petpet had long sharp teeth on the top and bottom that filled its mouth. Olivia froze. The Meepit’s mouth kept opening. The creature unhinged its jaw, displaying sharp molars in the back of its mouth and a wet red tongue. Olivia began to back away. The Meepit didn’t follow.

     Slowly, Olivia made her way back onto the road, keeping her eyes on the Meepit. It stayed there, frozen, with its jaw unhinged and sharp teeth displayed. She wondered what Meepits ate if they needed teeth like that. Luckily, the Petpet seemed to be just as scared as she was, as it didn’t move from its frozen but intimidating position. Olivia took a few steps down the road, letting the Meepit out of her sight for a moment. When she glanced over her shoulder, it was gone. The Kacheek sighed. All she knew about Meepits, besides their inflated price, was that they were spooky Petpets, which meant only one thing. Olivia was lost in the Haunted Woods.

     The realization was not comforting, although it explained the creepy things that kept happening to her. What she really wanted to know, however, was what happened to the Uni carriage driver and the other traveller. There were a number of terrible fates that could have befallen them. The only thing scarier than the ghost and the Meepit had to be the fact that she was alone. All she could do, however, was keep walking. So Olivia held up her lantern and willed herself forward. Her adrenaline from earlier had finally run out, and the encounter with the Meepit had unsettled her nerves. Olivia’s paws trembled a little but she didn’t let herself stop moving.

     And so, she walked. Olivia had no way to track the time besides the movement of Kreludor across the sky. It had started above the tree line and slowly sunk beneath it. The sun, however, did not follow it. A grey haze set in, lightening the forest somewhat but blanketing the road in a dense fog. Olivia assumed this is what approximated daylight in the Haunted Woods, and she didn’t have much more light to look forward to. Still, it was better than the inky darkness she had started in. She occasionally heard movement or laughter from beyond the treeline. At first, it made her jump and run. Eventually, she got used to it, although the hairs on the back of her neck never did relax. Sometime after the moon had disappeared, the scenery began to change. The trees began to thin out toward a clearing. As the road curved, the silhouette of civilization appeared over the horizon.

     Where the clearing met the edge of town, the buildings were half ruined and definitely abandoned. All the glass was busted out of the windows and several of the roofs had collapsed. There were a few dingy tents scattered around the area, striped and some open on one side. As Olivia scanned the area, she also noticed a ferris wheel and a number of carnival rides. A chill went up her spine as she realized where she was. As far as she knew, there was only one deserted carnival in Neopia.

     A mysterious ticking sound drew her attention to a large tent in the fairground. She approached it cautiously, seeing no other option besides going on the offensive. The tent opened, and produced a robotic Chia clown. It came toward her slowly, the key at its back ticking as it wound the mechanism that powered the Chia clown. It was yellow, with a round red nose and filthy white curls around its head. It laughed an eerie clown laugh as it ticked its way toward her on its small red feet. Olivia realized she was in serious trouble.

     Suddenly, a pie appeared from behind Olivia and struck the Chia clown in the face. It ticked backwards, shocked by the impact. A blur of darkness crossed Olivia’s path and the Chia clown was headless. Another blur and it was defeated, falling apart in a pile of gears. In its place stood a dark figure armed with a greatsword, held two-handed. They lowered their blade and turned to face Olivia, and she realized who it was.

     “You were in the carriage,” she said to the figure in the dark cloak. They nodded and lowered their hood.

     “My name is Ashyasx,” they said, “but you can call me Ash. I am glad you are safe.” Their politeness was contrasted with their appearance - Ash was a wraith. Flourishes of dark magic peeled off their fur beneath glowing white eyes. With their hood down, Olivia could tell her saviour was also a Wocky. The ears gave it away.

     “Thank you,” Olivia mumbled. “Do you know how to get out of here?”

     “Yes,” Ash replied, “please follow me.” Then, they led Olivia away from the deserted carnival and back toward the road. Olivia held her lantern up high to illuminate the way for both of them, although the wraith Wocky didn’t seem to mind the dark. The unlikely duo followed the road together in silence for some time. When the road branched off into a dirt road that cut through the forest, Ash gestured for Olivia to follow them into the woods. She hesitated, unsure of how safe the situation was. However, she had no other options, and strode after the wraith while watching them closely. They continued onward.

     As it turned out, the road led to Neovia. The village in the early morning smelled of rain and freshly baked bread. The thick fog from the forest hadn’t lifted yet, but the people of Neovia were going about their day as though it was normal for them. It was a dreary day, as far as Olivia was concerned. Her feet hurt from walking all night and she wanted nothing more than a soft bed. Ash stopped walking as they reached the centre of town. A river, more green than blue, cut the town in half. On the far end of the village to one side was a collection of shops and carriages. To the far other side was a massive graveyard, and the rest of town was surrounded with forest. It wasn’t someplace Olivia could imagine herself sleeping peacefully. Regardless, she wasn’t sure of what to do. With no Neopoints, she didn’t have very many options. Ash cleared their throat awkwardly to get her attention - the Kacheek had been lost in thought.

     “Will you be alright?” the Wocky asked. Olivia chewed her lip anxiously, unsure of how to respond. Her silence must have been telling, because Ash seemed concerned.

     “Actually, no. I’m broke,” Olivia confessed. “I got robbed by a ghost in the forest and I have nothing.”

     “Oh,” Ash said, “Please allow me to help pay for your journey home.”

     “I can’t ask you to do that,” Olivia replied.

     “You don’t need to,” asserted the Wocky with a smile. They gestured again for Olivia to follow them. Olivia did so, and they headed toward the end of town that boasted the most proof of civilization. Ash escorted her to a Uni-drawn carriage and paid the driver. The wraith Wocky opened the door for her and she stepped in the carriage.

     “Are you coming with?” Olivia asked.

     “No,” said Ash with a smile, “I think it is better that I stay in the Haunted Woods for now.” The Wocky seemed genuine, although Olivia was somewhat confused. Of course the Wraith would be more comfortable in the Haunted Woods, but they had been headed farther north, hadn’t they?

     “Okay,” Olivia accepted. Prying into a stranger’s personal business wasn’t her style, even if their trip through the woods had given her a sense of familiarity with Ash. They seemed very familiar, actually - almost as if they had met in a dream.

     “Regardless, I will see you soon, Olivia Cooper,” Ash continued, “Our owner will be pleased to know that you made it home safe.” Olivia felt as though she’d been slapped. Of course. Ashyasx was her cousin, and she’d completely forgotten.

     “See you later, Ash,” Olivia replied sheepishly. The Wocky gave her a wink and closed the carriage door behind her, leaving Olivia alone in the dark.

To be continued…