Random stuff

A scene where I was practicing an Affably Evil style villain, or close to it at least. If you don't know what an Affably Evil villain is, here's the trope page for it: tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AffablyEvil

Mr. Cosmo of Sinful Behaviors was sort of Affably Evil, mixed in with Faux Affably Evil ( tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FauxAffablyEvil )


Here's the snippet:


Rudy and Penny weren’t sure what to make of this. Snap was just as confused as they were. None of them had expected that they’d end up here, of all places. They had been in many odd places in ChalkZone, but with the Real World, things were different. If they got lost, it would be much harder finding their way around, or getting help. And if someone strange wanted to talk to them, there was less of a defense available to them.

Rudy certainly didn’t expect things to go this way. He and his friends had come here for the art show. There was a big one going on in Plainsville. He had been excited to go see it. Many of his favorite artists had shown up there. The place the event was being held at was huge. There were so many vendors in this large building that it was hard for him to choose which one to go to first.

Some of the artists were pretty stuck up and arrogant, but Rudy came to expect that. Some professional artists can be creepazoids, and he learned to avoid them when he could. There were still plenty of friendlier professional artists he spoke to. Some were even willing to give him tips on how to improve his own drawings.

But there was one thing that would never change. Rudy was a bit nervous around artists. Well just about anyone, he’d be nervous with. But artists gained the most fear out of him. If any of them discovered ChalkZone...what would they do? Although anyone could be a threat, an artist was much worst; depending on how skilled they were, they could be a real threat to ChalkZone. All it would take is one really talented professional artist getting a hold of magic chalk, and it would all be over. Rudy wasn’t even sure he could stand up against a professional artist.

Penny had assured him that something like that would never happen. Regardless, Rudy was still on edge. He didn’t want to let his guard down. It was too dangerous. He already saw that one human in ChalkZone could do. He did not want another ‘Reggie The Red’ incident.

During their looking around, one of the artists had called out to them. This alone was perplexing. Rudy hadn’t seen any of the other artists personally call out to other people. It seemed strange this one would. Nonetheless, he and his friends had approached him.

The artist in question was Ace Zebulon. Mr. Zebulon was incredibly thin for his height. He was about the same height as Rudy’s father, but a little skinnier and bonier. He was a relatively new artist on the scene. Rudy had seen some of his work. He had quite a bit of talent and showed strength in certain areas, such as mythological creatures and castles and some landscaping. Rudy admired some of his work, impressed that he had managed to get a book published despite being a pretty new face in the industry. The man wasn’t even that old. Last he checked, he was only about twenty-five.

Rudy didn’t know why the tall, blonde man had called him over. He wasn’t fully aware of his personality, except that he was supposedly a really friendly guy. He didn’t know enoguh to be able to assess why the man would want to speak to him and his friends. But considering there were a number of people around, he did feel assured that, if the man did attempt something, someone would stop him.

But the man didn’t want to speak to them. At least, not at his stand. He called over one of his friends to watch it as more people came up to see or purchase his art. After that, Mr. Zebulon led them somewhere to talk more privately. Rudy wasn’t sure why he wanted to speak to them privately, but when he asked, the tall man just urged them to come with him and that he’d speak more to them after they get some privacy.

They all ended up in a back room of the building, away from the others. The room was kind of small, but also still felt roomy at the same time. There was a large table in the middle. There were multiple curtains covering some things. Large canvases, Rudy was certain. Perhaps old paintings the man had done. Rudy did find out as they had walked down the hallway that this man owned this building, so this being a storage room of his did make some sense.

That would also explain why no one thought it was strange he was trying to get them to follow him here. The others probably knew that this building was owned by this man and was, perhaps, even his home. Rudy felt some sense of relief. He was more relaxed with the idea of this man being the owner, than it being some random dude taking him to some random room.

Now they all sat at the table, staring at one another. He exchanged confused looks with his friends, Penny and Snap. From their expressions, he could tell that none of them knew what to expect here. None of them had an inkling as to why Mr. Zebulon wanted to speak with them back here, alone. Rudy played different scenarios in his head, attempting to explain this, but none of it made enough, or any, sense to him.

Zebulon did not leave them hanging for too long.

“Hello, dear children.” Zebulon’s voice was kind of deep, but not boomingly so. Still, it was deeper than they had expected for a man of his thin nature, and despite having heard it before, it was still startling for them to notice the contrast. “I think you might be wondering why I called you over here.”

“Yeah.” Penny nodded her head.

“Why couldn’t we just talk out there?” Snap motioned towards the shut door. “Is there a reason why....?”

“Oh I just thought it’d be easier talking without all the..distractions and all.” Zebulon made a somewhat dismissive wave of the hand at that, curling his lip up slightly. “It can be so...annoying. You know how convention goers can be. They talk and talk and talk and talk.” He shook his head.

“I see. You could have just said that instead of leaving us guessing.” Rudy pointed out.

Zebulon nodded his head in the boy’s direction. “True, that is. I guess I felt I had to hurry.” Slowly, the man smiled at them. “But that doesn’t matter anymore. We are here, so that isn’t an issue anymore.” He interlocked his fingers together. “The reason I wanted to meet you all in here is...well because I have a question.”

Rudy tilted his head. A question? Was that what this whole thing was about? Why couldn’t he just ask out there? Was it something he was embarrassed of asking? A part of Rudy couldn’t help but feel frustrated. If all this man wanted to was ask a question, he could have done so without dragging them out to this storage room. And yet, he was aware that there are some things that are quite uncomfortable to talk about. So he guess he couldn’t fault the man for wanting to ask somewhere more private.

“Oh?” Rudy said, breaking the brief silence. “What is it you wanted to ask us?” He paused. “And why us?”

Snap said, “Yeah. Why did you want to speak to us specifically?”

Zebulon was quiet for a moment. The smile on his face had faded for a brief time. He looked like he was trying to think of a way to answer their questions. Soon he replied with, “I have my...reasons. You see, I don’t think anyone else has the answer to the kind of question I’m about to ask.”

Penny was the next person to speak up. “What do you mean?”

“Well you see... My question is kind of... other worldly, if you catch my drift.” Zebulon replied. The smile slowly came back. “I feel that you three were the best to ask. I just..have a feeling about you three. Something about you just..drew my attention.” He waved a hand in their direction. “All three of you seem quite smart for your age. So if anyone knows about this, you three would.”

Rudy coul feel a twist in his heart. He cast a glance at Penny and Snap. They looked at him, both looking as startled as he did. Rudy knew he could be overreacting, that here was nothing to fear, but there was something about what Zebulon said that ran an alarm in his mind. There was something... off about this whole thing.

Other worldly... That was what alerted him the most. The particular choice of words... Even though it could mean something completely different, Rudy couldn’t help but immediately think of one place. The place that he would do whatever it took to protect.

ChalkZone.

Could this man have somehow found out about that place? Could he have somehow realized that he and his friends were connected to it? Is that why he signaled them out? Was he going to make them...take him there...?

He soon shook the thought out of his head. No, that couldn’t be it. Rudy tried to relax his speeding heart. He couldn’t jump to conclusions like that. It was probably something completely different, totally unrelated to ChalkZone. Rudy had to remind himself that not every weird event was related to ChalkZone. The man was probably using the word ‘other worldly’ as a way of describing it as bizarre or unusual. Yeah, that had to be it.

Rudy cast another glance to his friends. Penny looked at him with an expression that conveyed worry and fear. She was definitely afraid of what this man might know, yet there was still hope in her eyes. The hope that this was all just a misunderstanding, and that she was just jumping to conclusions.

Snap didn’t look as worried. He was nervous, but his anxiousness was more toned down. Rudy realized that this might have been partially a mask; perhaps he didn’t want to look to afraid in front of Zebulon, out of fear that the man might try something. Snap gave Rudy a quick look, giving him an expression that told Rudy he had to think of something, and fast.

Mr. Zebulon continued speaking, breaking the children out of their thoughts.

“I do apologize if my question will seem... rather strange to you. I don’t know who else to ask this.” The man looked left and right in a somewhat dramatic way, moving more than what was necessary. His eyes, one dark brown and one light brown, surveyed the room, looking mostly at whatever was covered by the curtains. “If I ask this to anyone else, they’d probably laugh at me.” He gave a small chuckle. “Once you hear it, you’ll see why.”

Penny bit her lip nervously. She hesitated for a moment. Then, leaning forward, pressing her hands against the table, she asked, “Can you ask us the question?”

Mr. Zebulon looked at her. “Yeah.”

The silence that fell upon the room after that was unbearable. The wait to hear what the man had to say, what he wanted to speak to them about, it felt so long. Rudy shuddered as he felt as though the walls of darkness were closing in around him. The silence didn’t actually last that long, yet time seemed to slow down, get all muddled.

The longer the silence lasted, the more uncomfortable Rudy and his friends got. They couldn’t help but begin to wonder just what the question could be. There was a large number of them, and despite not knowing what the question itself was, they felt their stomachs burn in anxiety. What if...?

No, that was impossible. They couldn’t think like that. They had to stay positive. This man, he couldn’t possibly know about... No. They wanted to smack themselves for even thinking something like that. This had nothing to do with...

“Just what do you three know about this...this chalk world?”

At this, the trio felt their hearts stop. Cold ice ran through their bodies. Their breathing increased. They stared at the man, wide-eyed. How..how did he know...? Their minds raced, multiple thoughts clouding their heads. They gave each other nervous expressions, trying their best not to look too scared in front of Zebulon.

Rudy was the first one to speak. His voice shakier than he had anticipated, he said, “Wh-Why are you asking us? I mean, we..we don’t know...”

“Please do not lie to me, kid. I know you have something to do with it.” Rudy stared wide-eyed as Mr. Zebulon leaned across the table, his mismatched eyes staring directly at him. “You do not have to hide the truth from me. I’m aware that Ms. Bouffant had been tracking you three down. She’s obsessed with this world of chalk. And since you are the ones she tries to go after for information...” He leaned back, spreading his hands out. “I figure you three must know something. Why don’t you enlighten me?”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Snap said quickly. He smiled nervously. “Bouffant is just a nutcase. Always babbling about something. You shouldn’t take her too seriously.”

“Snap is right. Ever since she got fired from her old job and had to ‘small time’, she’s been obsessed with trying to make it back to the big time news.” Penny said, pointing a finger upwards in gesture. “It’s nothing more complicated than that.”

“I see.” Mr. Zebulon said. He tilted his head to one side, staring at the three intently. “Ms. Bouffant is crazy, and this chalk world is just something she..made up?”

Rudy nodded his head. “Yeah. I mean, that’s insane, don’t you think?” Rudy held his hands out in gesture, smiling nervously. “I mean, a world made of chalk? That’s illogical!” He gave a nervous chuckle. “Can you even imagine such a place?”

Mr. Zebulon was quiet for a few moments. He stared at the children. His expression was blank, unreadable. Then he grabbed the edge of the table and pushed back. The sound of the chair’s legs squeaking against the ground could be heard, causing the children to flinch. The man got up from the chair and turned and walked away. He headed towards one of the curtain-covered paintings, and it didn’t take him long to reach it.

The professional artist put his hand on the covered painting. He slowly moved his hand over it, caressing it like it was some kind of pet. Rudy couldn’t help but be a little weirded out by this behavior. He had known of artists who really love their work. Rudy was one of them. He treated Snap like a brother. But the difference was that Snap was living and breathing, and what the man was ‘petting’ was a painting, an inanimate object that had no chance of coming to life.

Zebulon turned to face them. He remained by the painting. The expression he was giving them... it wasn’t uninviting or anything. But it was...strange. It was an expression that told them that there was a reason he had walked over to this painting, a reason that wasn’t just he was bored and wanted to walk over just cause.

Rudy couldn’t help but stare at the painting. Why did the man walk over to this one, out of all the others? There were plenty of ones much closer. Did this man have a personal preference for that one? And why was he staring at them like that? Rudy couldn’t help but feel his anxiety grow.

Mr. Zebulon glanced down at the canvas. He patted it a few times, and then looked back at Rudy. Their eyes locked onto each other. The man straightened himself up, keeping one hand on the covered painting’s rim. “Well I suppose that is good news.” He gave a soft sigh and gritted his teeth slightly for a second. “It would be a shame if this thing became reality, don’t you think?”

With that, Mr. Zebulon grabbed the curtain. He eyed the children. He seemed to note their expressions. With a small smile, he yanked the curtain upward, exposing what was underneath it. He stood straight again, looking at the chilren intently, watching their reactions.

The trio gasped in horror. Their hearts beat against their chests. The item underneath the curtain... It..it wasn’t a painting like they all had thought. It..it was a chalkboard. A rather large one, though not quite the same size as the school chalkboard. It wasn’t blank either. They all could see that something had been drawn on it. Something large and vicious.

A dragon specifically. It was a western-style dragon. Long neck, long tail, covered in scales and three sharp claws on each foot. Large wings jetted out of its back, three points and a sharp claw. The mouth had a lot of protruding sharp teeth. Green fire spewed out of its mouth and it appeared to be burning down a village of some kind. There were multiple people throwing spears at the dragon. The trio instantly relaized that this dragon was not intended to be friendly.

“That..is one scary dragon.” Snap noted nervously. The two human children could only nod numbly in agreement.

“Yes. One of my latest work.” Mr. Zebulon said. He smiled down at the drawing. “One of my personal favorites, actually. Took me a little while to create.” He frowned slightly. “So you can see the problem I’ve been having. I wasn’t sure if I could erase this. Ms. Bouffant’s fantastical stories of some other chalky world, and how anything on a chalkboard erased ended up in this world and... well yeah, that’s why I wanted to speak to you.”

Rudy couldn’t help but stare at the drawing. He couldn’t help but feel a lump in his throat, anxiety gripping his chest. What would happen if that dragon ended up in ChalkZone? What kind of disaster would it bring? The dragon was absolutely monsterous. It looked bigger than any dragon he’s encountered before in ChalkZone.

And the violence being depicted... Rudy swallowed nervously. He was not adverse to violent drawings, at least in most medium. But when it came to anything chalk related, that was a whole different story. He always felt a pang in his chest whenever he saw someone draw something that looked scary and mean, knowing that once erased, it’d end up in ChalkZone, exactly how the artist imagined it.

If this dragon were erased...

“I am glad that you three were able to reassure me that isn’t the case.” Zebulon’s voice cut him out of his thoughts. “Knowing that this thing couldn’t possibly become real does make it easier for me to decide what to do. You see, I want to create a new drawing and...”

“You’re not thinking of erasing that?” Penny cut him off. Zebulon looked in her direction. “I mean, it’s such a fantastic drawing and all. I-I think you should keep it up.” She said with a smile.

“Oh really now?” Zebulon asked.

Penny nodded her head. “Yeah.” She held her hands out in gesture. “I mean, I don’t see why you have to destroy such talent. Why not just keep the drawing up?”

“Hmm...” Zebulon stared at the drawing. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Well...you might have a point there.”

Rudy gave a small sigh of relief at that. He was glad that Penny was able to say something to change the man’s mind without having to tell him about ChalkZone. It was always difficult trying to change someone’s mind about what they draw on the chalkboard. It was hard to convey the seriousness of the situation. He was happy to see that Zebulon was so easy to convince.

“Then again...”

Rudy felt something clutch at his chest. He couldn’t help but stare at Zebulon nervously. Penny and Snap also looked on, both having a hard time hiding their fear completely.

And this time, Mr. Zebulon had taken notice.

“I don’t see why you’re so upset.” Mr. Zebulon said. He narrowed his eyes a little in confusion. “You just told me this chalky world doesn’t exist. So why do you even care if I erase this or not?” He glanced down at the chalkboard. He added, “If the chalk world exists, than I can see cause for alarm. But...” He turned back to the trio. His frown faded into a smile. “As you said, the chalk world is just a figmant of Ms. Bouffant’s imagination. So if you don’t mind, I’m going to wash this chalkboard.”

“No!” Rudy found himself calling out. He put a hand to his mouth, shocked that he had spoken that loudly. Mr. Zebulon stared at him in shock, clearly startled by the boy’s sudden outburst. Rudy took in a couple breaths, trying to compose himself. “I mean..Penny is right. You shouldn’t erase it. It’s just...too good of a drawing.”

Mr. Zebulon replied, “Yes, but I think I’d rather start over.” He picked up the chalkboard and carried it over to the table. He placed it down, the loud thud of it colliding with the hard table sounding out. “You see, I made too many mistakes in this drawing, and it’ll just be easier erasing the whole thing.”

“I don’t think it’s that bad. I can’t see anything wong with it.” Snap said quickly, clearly hoping to deter the man from erasing the dragon, which would be unleashed upon ChalkZone.

“Thanks for the kind words, but I still think I’m going to erase it.” Zebulon looked left and right. “Now where did I...Oh!” He reached down and grabbed something. “There you are.” It was the eraser.

Rudy, Penny, and Snap exchanged looks of horror with each other. They watched, hearts thumping, as the man grabbed the eraser and lowered it towards the chalkboard. They all knew what was about to happen, and they were helpless to stop it.

Rudy struggled to think of something to say. He tried to think of how he could convince the man to not erase the drawing. The task wasn’t going to be easy. Just..just what could he say to make the man realize that erasing the drawing wasn’t a good idea without making him suspicious about ChalkZone’s existence? He knew he had to be careful about what he said. The man was already suspicious of the existence of a chalk world. If he said the wrong thing, he might accidentally confirm the man’s thoughts and..how knows what might happen after that..?

Before he or Penny could think of anything, something unexpected happened.

“Don’t use that nasty old eraser!” It was Snap. The zoner had gotten out of his seat and was rushing towards the professional artist. “Put it down!”

“Snap!” Rudy and Penny cried, hoping to stop their friend in time. But it was too late.

Snap launched himself towards the man. He grabbed onto the man’s arm, holding on tightly. Zebulon looked down at him in shock. He raised his arm up, living Snap up with him. He began to shake his arm, trying to dislodge the zoner. But Snap refused to relent. Rudy and Penny watched, unable to say anything, as their friend took this big risk.

Soon Mr. Zebulon appeared to get a little frustrated. His eyes slightly narrowed, he grabbed onto Snap’s cape and tugged on him. He wasn’t being particularly rough; he was merely trying to encourage the zoner to let go. When that didn’t work, he used more force, but still seemed to be careful not to apply too much pressure.

“Hey, let go!” Zebulon demanded. “Let go of my arm!”

“Let go of the eraser!” Snap told him.

Zebulon gave Snap a confused look. “Why do you care if I erase the drawing or not? Is this chalk world actually real?”

Snap’s eyes widened, then they shut tightly. He shook his head rapidly. “No. I just don’t want to see this drawing get destroyed! I..I like it too much to...”

“Well it’s my drawing, and I can do whatever I want with it!” Zebulon told him. He shook his arm harder. Snap’s grip slightly loosened, but he still did not relent. “If the chalk world isn’t real, then there’s no reason for you to...”

“Just please, drop the eraser!” Snap yelled, a panicked tinge to his voice.

Zebulon gripped his cape tighter. With a swift yank, Snap was finally released from his arm. With a yelp, Snap ended up letting go of the arm. Now he dangled up in the air, held up by his cape. Zebulon stared down at him. There was some anger his expression, but it was mostly just annoyance and confusion. Snap stared at him for a moment and then began to struggle. Zebulon did not release him.

Rudy and Penny rushed over to where the man and their friend were.

“Please let him go!” Penny cried. “He didn’t mean it! He’s just..a little excited.”

Rudy said, “Put my friend down. Please.”

It didn’t seem like Zebulon was going to harm Snap. It seemed like he was just frustrated with him. But Rudy still couldn’t help but feel some pang of anger seeing his friend held up like that, as if he were nothing more than some stray cat. And he knew Penny felt the same way.

But Mr. Zebulon didn’t relent to their words. He simply stared at them, blinking his eyes slowly as if he didn’t understand what they said, or didn’t know what he himself was going to do. There was some confusion in his eyes. He held Snap a little higher, showing no intention of letting him go, but also made no move to actually harm him or even yell at him. The silence that followed was unnerving, leaving Rudy and Penny guessing what Zebulon was going to do next.

Snap was struggling in the air. His feet were kicking around and he was trying to grab the man’s arm, to no avail. He gritted his teeth, out of frustration more than anything. He looked at Zebulon.

“Please let me go.” Snap said, trying to sound as calm as I could. “Put me down. This isn’t very comfortable.” He pressed his hand against his throat. “The pressure...”

“Oh, the pressure? Is this bothering you that much?” Zebulon asked, curiosity edging along his voice. Snap nodded his head. “Okay then. I apologize if I...”

Suddenly, the man went silent. Something seemed to catch his attention. He peered closely at Snap. He grabbed Snap from the underside of his arms, releasing his cape, and held him up. He turned him, appeared to examine him. He looked even closer, his eyes narrowed in confusion and curiosity. It was clear he had seen something strange about Snap. Just what it was, the trio weren’t certain.

Then the man spoke again, and what he said caused their hearts to nearly stop beating. “You are made of chalk, aren’t you...?”

Rudy couldn’t help but take a step back, Penny’s hand placed on her mouth and Snap’s eyes widening. How did this man figure that out? How could he tell Snap was made of chalk...? Did the eraser...? No, it couldn’t have been that. The eraser had been dropped down, and if it was the eraser, they would have heard the zoner scream and there would be some kind of wound. There was nothing, no mark, no sign of pain, no reaction to an injury. But if it wasn’t the eraser’s fault, then how did Zebulon realize Snap was made of chalk?

He then realized it had to be related to the man being an artist. If anyone could recognize a chalk-based drawing, it would be an artist. He recalled Zebulon specialized in different medium, and chalk happened to be one of them. He would be very familiar to what a chalk drawing would look like, especially up close. He must have leaned in closely enough to see Snap’s chalky texture.

The realization that this man was able to make the distinction so easily sent chills through his spine. It left him wondering just what else this man could guess on his own.

“N-No...” Snap tried to say. He smiled nervously. “Th-That’s absurd...”

Zebulon cocked an eyebrow. “Then tell me why you feel like chalk. I’ve done enough chalk drawings to know what the texture feels like. And that is what you have.” He tilted his head to the side. “Or are you expecting me to believe that you have another reason for...”

“Skin condition!”

Zebulon looked at Penny. “A skin condition?”

Penny nodded her head swiftly. “Yeah. It just makes it look like he has a chalky appearance.” She waved her hand in front of her. “But it’s just the disease! Not him himself!” She stumbled over her words, but she still spoke, still tried her best to sound confident. “It’s not contagious though. So you’re in no danger of getting it.”

“Skin condition?” Zebulon asked. He looked back at Snap. “Is this true?”

Snap nodded his head. “Yeah. Darn thing’s been bothering me for years. I get mistaken for a chalk drawing all the time.”

“See?” Penny asked. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Now..can we have our friend back?”

Rudy took a step foward. “Put him down, please.” Though he was being polite, he still ended up speaking in a more demanding tone. He was making sure that the man knew he was not going to take ‘no’ for an answer. He was not going to tolerate his friend possibly being harmed. “He didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I was never upset. Just confused.” Mr. Zebulon looked back at Snap. He looked at him up and down. He cocked an eyebrow again, taking note of different things. He looked back at Rudy. “...skin condition..?” Rudy nodded his head. At this, Mr. Zebulon looked back at Snap. “How very..strange.”

“Can I get back on the ground now?” Snap said, giving a small nervous smile. “I don’t like being held up like this.”

“I suppose so.” Zebulon said.

Slowly, the man lowered Snap to the ground. Rudy and Penny sighed with relief. They were glad to see the man was being cooperative and giving them their friend back without much of a fight. That saved them a lot of trouble. They watched, waiting for his feet to touch the ground so they could approach their friend. Seconds later, Snap’s feet touched the ground.

Suddenly, as Snap began to take a step forward, his eyes flew open. He let out a scream of pain and he stumbled forward. Zebulon widened his eyes in shock and he immediately grabbed Snap by the arm, holding him up. He stared at him in confusion, looking him up and down as if looking for an injury. Penny and Snap looked at their friend in shock, rushing forward, hoping to help their friend.

Rudy looked all around, trying to find anything that could be amiss. What had caused his friend to scream like that? Snap would not call out like that unless something was wrong. And soon, Rudy and Penny could see what it was.

There, on the ground, was the eraser. Snap had been lowered towards it. They couldn’t be certain if it had been done on purpose or not, but it seemed that, judging by the shocked man’s expression, it was an accident. The eraser, to their horror, had a tinge of blood to it. Not a lot, but enough that it gave a thin covering of red to the eraser. Snap’s right foot, the one that had stepped and slid on the eraser, had a bit of blood leaking out of the bottom, and the zoner was holding it up, leaning more towards the left, favoring his other foot.

Mr. Zebulon stared at Snap in fear at first, looking at him, his expression showing that he was concerned for the zoner. Then his eyes narrowed when he spotted the blood covered eraser. Confusion replaced the previous expression as he looked between the eraser and the injured foot. He seemed to instantly make the connection.

“So...your friend really is made of chalk.” Zebulon stared at Rudy. He shook his head in disappointment as Rudy and Penny stared at him fearfully. “How disappointing.” He tilted his head back, smiling at them. His voice was still friendly, regardless of the massive discovery he had just made. “You two could have just made it easier on yourselves and just tell me the truth. Otherwise, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Knowing there was no point in trying to cover up Snap’s chalk nature, Rudy growled at Zebulon. “It wasn’t our fault!”

Mr. Zebulon chuckled light-heartedly at the boy. “Oh I know. I never said it was. Just saying the mess could have been avoided and...well enough about that.” He glanced at Snap, who was staring at him wide-eyed. “I take it this is why you didn’t want me erasing the dragon?

Snap gulped and nodded his head slowly. “That dragon could have hurt my friends.” Even though he didn’t mean to, he had confirmed to the man the existence of a chalk world. Not that he wouldn’t have figured that out on his own.

“I see.” Mr. Zebulon said. He looked back at Rudy and Penny. “Are you two ready to talk about this chalk world now?”

Rudy and Penny remained silent. They looked at each other nervously, then back at the man. They weren’t sure what they were going to do. Their hearts beat quickly against their chests, horror spreading through their minds. Their worst fear had become a reality. Another artist had found out about ChalkZone, and he knows that erased chalk drawings will become real. If he had any ill intentions, who knows what kind of havoc he could wreak...

They glanced at their friend, whose arm was still held by Mr. Zebulon. How were they going to get out of this? Mr. Zebulon knows that Snap is made of chalk. If he so desired, he could hurt him. There was little reason that Zebulon would care about Snap’s well being now that he knows he’s made of chalk. He could act just like how Terry did when she found out Snap was made of chalk; she just kidnapped him and tried to use him to expose ChalkZone.

Rudy looked left and right, his heart thudding louder and louder. He struggled to think of something he could do. He had to figure a way to get his friend back, a way to avoid the topic of ChalkZone. He couldn’t tell Mr. Zebulon anymore than what he already knew. It was imperative that the man not find out anymore about ChalkZone. It was just..too risky...too dangerous... He mustn’t be allowed to find out enough information to become a bigger threat than he already was.

And he had to get Snap back. Now that the man knew he was made of chalk, it was too dangerous to let him keep holding Snap like that. If the man got it in his head to hurt Snap...

“No. We...uh..need to get going.” Rudy said quickly. Mr. Zebulon tilted his head. “Yeah, our parents will be here soon. We need to wait outside. If we aren’t there when they come, they will be worried about us.”

“Yeah, so if you don’t mind, we’d like our friend back so we can go.” Penny said, taking a step forward. “Please, Mr. Zebulon. We don’t wish to start trouble with you.”

“I know you don’t. All three of you seem like sweet kids.” Mr. Zebulon glanced at Snap for a moment. He looked at him up and down, his friendly smile plastering over his face. “Even you...being of chalk. You seem like you’re a friendly a little guy. No harm done, right?”

“Uh..yeah!” Snap said, a slight hesitation to his voice. “Can you let go of my arm now?”

Mr. Zebulon was silent for a moment. Keeping that friendly smile on his face, he said, “...I’m sorry, but no. I cannot.”

The trio stared at him in shock.

“What?” Snap pulled on his arm, hoping to get free. Mr. Zebulon tightened his grip on his arm. “Why not?”

“I’m still wanting to know more about this chalk world. I intend to find out more.” Mr. Zebulon said. “And if your friends care about you, well maybe you could convince them.”

Rudy felt a cold pang in his chest, as if ice had been injected into his veins. He stared at the man in horror. Penny was terrified as well. Snap increased his struggling. Zebulon still gripped his arm firmly and tugged on him a little, making Snap come closer to him. Rudy and Penny wanted to rush over to their friend, but they were terrified that such a hasty act would cause their friend to suffer a nasty fate.

Mr. Zebulon noticed their expressions and gave a light-hearted laugh. “Oh relax, will you all?” He gave a genuine smile at the trio, and then he looked down at Snap. He reached down with his free hand and stroked the back of Snap’s head. “I’m not going to hurt your friend. I’m merely just...” He held his hand palm face up in the air. “..borrowing him. I’ll give him back when you two decide to tell me more about the chalk world.”

“Let him go!” Rudy cried, his eyes narrowed. “He’s not going anywhere with you!”

“On the contrary..I beg to differ.” Mr. Zebulon smiled at Rudy. “Your friend is coming with me. He’s going to be my..guest. At least until you two decide to come over to my place.” He raised his head up and looked out in one direction. “It’s not far from here. I might own this place, but it doesn’t mean I sleep here. When you are ready to speak, you can come by and I will relinquish your friend.”

“But...but if he stays out of Cha... the chalk world for too long, he’ll dehydrate to death!” Rudy cried in horror.

“Please, you can’t do this!” Penny begged the man. “You have to let our friend go, Mr. Zebulon!”

“He’ll die if he doesn’t get back home?” Mr. Zebulon questioned. The two children nodded. Looking at Snap, the frightened zoner nodded in response. At this, Zebulon’s smile broadened a little. “Well..I wouldn’t worry about that.” He tugged on Snap’s arm again, making him come closer. “I know you two wouldn’t let that happen. I know you will make the right decision.”

No...oh no... This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t. This...this had to be some kind of nightmare. Yeah, that’s it. Rudy just had to wait for himself to wake up, and everything would be fine.

But no matter how many times he closed his eyes and reopened them, no matter how much he pinched himself, the image before him never changed. He could see the same thing, the scene of his friend being held by a man who had just figured out he was made of chalk. This wasn’t some kind of dream. It was reality. A terrifying one, his heart clenching and twisting tightly as he tried to come to comprehend their situation.

Rudy’s mind raced as he tried to think of something to do. His eyes went from his friend’s terrified expression up to the man’s satisfied smirk. Rudy took in a few quick breaths, his chest noticeably inflating and deflating. He looked at Penny, hoping that she might have an idea. But she looked as lost as he did. He looked back at Mr. Zebulon.

Smacking his lips a few times nervously, he said, “P-Please... Let him go. He’s our best friend. Please give him back.”

“Let our friend go, and we won’t tell anyone about this. We promise.” Penny begged him, taking a step forward. She clasped her hands together in a hopeful manner. She looked at Snap, giving him a sad expression, and turning her eyes up towards Mr. Zebulon’s eyes. “Please...why can’t you see what you’re doing?”

“What am I doing? I already know that.” Mr. Zebulon said with a grin. “I’m figuring out a way to get into that chalk world, and I know you two can help me. If you want your precious friend back, just tell me what I want to know.”

Suddenly, the skinny man grabbed onto Snap. The small zoner let out a yelp of surprise when the man wrapped his arms around him. Snap’s own arms were pinned at his sides. He was lifted up into the air. Snap let out a series of shouts of error, twisting his body around as the man held onto him. He was pressed up against his chest, the man’s thin yet strong arms keeping him in place.

“Let me go! Please! Release me!” Snap cried as the man began to back away from the table. His voice filled with more terror as the seconds passed. “Stop this! Stop this please!”

“Snap!” Rudy shouted, his eyes wide in horror. He rushed forward, holding out his hand as he called out his friend’s name.

Penny ran along beside him, her heavy breathing intermixing with his own. “Mr. Zebulon! Stop! Please, there has to be another way to....!”

Suddenly, Zebulon stopped in his tracks. Penny and Rudy skidded to a stop behind him, watching as the man turned to the side. Soon his eyes gave them a sideways glance. They glinted, as if something just entered his mind.

“Perhaps there is....”

Rudy and Penny froze at that statement. Although it wasn’t exactly unfriendly, there was some kind of tone intermixed with that. Something they did not like. They looked at each other, exchanging looks of horror. What was this man going to suggest?

Zebulon removed one of his arms, managing to keep Snap secured against him with his other. The small zoner was struggling to get free. He eventually resorted to biting. But thought Zebulon did flinch and glare at him, he made no move to harm their friend. Instead, with his other hand, he began to pet Snap like he were some dog or cat he was holding. His hand lightly ran along the top of his head and towards the back. Rudy and Penny gritted their teeth, hating the sight of their friend being treated like some kind of animal.

“I know you two are really worried about your friend. You think I’m going to harm him. I can see why you would think that. You don’t know me, and I’m about to take your friend away from you.” Zebulon said in a calm voice. “I can assure you, I won’t hurt your friend.” He looked down at Snap, smiling broadly. “I think he’s too cute to hurt.” He gave Snap a couple pats on the head, which earned him an annoyed glare from the zoner. Nonetheless, he continued. “However, if you two can’t part with him...I have a solution.”

Rudy held his breath. He didn’t like where this is going.

“Why don’t you two come with me? You can stay at my place.” Mr. Zebulon offered.

“What?!” Rudy and Penny cried in shock.

Zebulon smiled at them. He made a motion towards them, and then pulled his hand inward, bowing slightly as if to show respect. “I don’t mind having more guests over. And in this way, you can still be in the same place as your friend, so you won’t be wandering blindly if you somehow can’t find my place.”

Rudy narrowed his eyes and took a step back. “Our parents would know we are missing...”

“I don’t think they’d realize you’re gone.” Zebulon said. He flexed his fingers and looked down at them, as if he had some dirt on them. “You see, I already took care of that problem earlier.” He looked at them, tilting his head a little to the side. “It’s amazing what can be accomplished with the right words... Just change a few things here or there in your sentence, and even parents can be...persuaded...”

Penny shook her head in disbelief, taking a step back as did Rudy. “You...you can’t do this...”

“Oh I can. I even have permission slips here.” Mr. Zebulon showed them some official looking papers that had clearly been signed. He rolled the paper up and put it in his pocket. “Your parents think you’re on some kind of trip for a few days. That leaves you three with me. But not to worry...” He raised his hand up. “I do not plan on starving any of you. I will provide meals for you so you don’t keel over.”

“And what of Snap?” Rudy asked.

“I can’t eat or drink Real World stuff.” Snap said. He was clearly afraid, but he was doing his best to sound brave.

Mr. Zebulon chuckled as he stroked Snap’s head a few times. “Don’t worry...” He gave a one-eyed glance at Rudy. “I’ll give your creator a chalkboard. A small one, so he can draw you food and water...and any medicinal supplies on the off chance you will need it. However...” He narrowed his eyes a little in Rudy’s direction. “I will be watching you. When I hand you the chalkboard, you are only to draw food, water, or any medical supplies he may need, such as advil or bandages, and that’s it. If you draw anything without my permission....”

Rudy took in a sharp gasp, baring his teeth in fear. “If you dare hurt him...”

Mr. Zebulon snapped his head back in shock. “Hurt him? What makes you think that? I...” Then it seemed to hit the man. He gave a quick chuckle. “Oh! I see... Well no, I wasn’t thinking of harming your friend. I’ll just...hmm...” He tapped his finger thoughtfully. “Oh yes, I’ll just take the chalkboard away and your friend will have to wait a full twenty-four hours before he can eat or drink again.”

The trio cried out in horror, “What?!”

“You can’t do that!” Rudy shouted. “That wouldn’t be fair!”

“Not fair? Of course it would be.” Mr. Zebulon held his hand out in gesture. “If I weren’t fair, then I wouldn’t have given you the warning now. If he ends up not being able to eat for a day, it’s going to be on you two kids.” He pointed at them. They glared at him. “Now, now, no need to be so angry. It’s not like I hurt your friend or anything.” He pressed a hand against himself. “I don’t believe in unnecessary roughness. Cruelty isn’t my thing. I’m being as nice as I can with you children. All I want are some answers, and since you won’t give it to me, I need another way of getting you to talk.”

“But you don’t understand! We..we can’t tell you about ChalkZone! We...” Penny put a hand to her mouth when she realized she just revealed the name of the place.

“Ah, ChalkZone, is it? Interesting name.” Mr. Zebulon said as he smiled at the frightened and angered humans. Still holding Snap in his arms, he moved closer to Rudy and Penny. “Well you can tell me all about it when we get to my place. Come along now.”

Zebulon turn and began to walk towards the door way. He still held Snap in his arms. He stopped by the door and turned. Rudy and Penny hadn’t started to follow him yet. They glared at him as the man paused and turned around completely.

“I told you two to come with me.” Zebulon said. His voice didn’t sound angry, more just confused. “Why aren’t you coming?”

“Give us our friend back.” Rudy said, his eyes narrowed. “We can’t going with you.”

Penny nodded her head. “We have no plans on following you. All we want is our friend back.”

Zebulon sighed and shook his head. “Stubborn little children you are.” He gave a quick chuckle and stared at them. Again, his eyes glinted, and Rudy and Penny found themselves taking a step back. “I suppose you wouldn’t mind me erasing that dragon, then?”

Snap looked up at him in shock. “No!”

Penny and Rudy took a few steps forward. Their eyes widened and they shook their heads urgently.

“No! You can’t!” Penny cried. “Do you have any idea what that is going to do?!”

“You know the consequences of that! Why would you...?!” Rudy shouted in disbelief, his breathing quickening. How could this man think to do such a thing? He knows there are living beings on the other side of that chalkboard. He..he couldn’t be that cruel..could he..?

Zebulon ran his fingers lightly over Snap’s head. “I don’t want to do it, believe me. But if you don’t come with me, I cannot guarantee it won’t happen. Perhaps I might...slip something wet on it and erase it.”

The trio just stared at the man, unsure of what to say. They couldn’t believe he’d be willing to go that far...all just to get them to come with him. To force them to relinquish information. It was disgusting...

They wanted to flee. They wanted to figure out a way out of here. They wanted to get away from the man. But they couldn’t think of anything to say or do. They didn’t know how they were going to get out of this. They knew they couldn’t prevent the man from erasing the dragon if he so desired. Rudy and Penny couldn’t even take their friend back. Mr. Zebulon might still hurt him if they tried.

They could go talk to their parents, but could they even get out of here without Zebulon catching them? Maybe if they could reach a phone, they could call for help. They could tell their parents what happened and...

“I know what you two are thinking of.”

Zebulon’s voice echoed in their heads, disrupting their thoughts. Rudy and Penny locked eyes onto the man, gritting their teeth. Had he read their mind somehow?

Mr. Zebulon was glaring at them. “You two are really making things difficult for me, aren’t you? It would be so much easier if you just come along with me.” He looked all around them. He gave them something that was kind of an evil smile, but still quite welcoming. “I know this place inside and out, children. I know exactly how to find you, should you...run off. So just come along now. Let’s not make this too difficult.”

Here's another beta scene from You Belong To Me.




“Oh Mint!”

Skrawl’s voice echoed off the walls. Mint raised his head. He got up from the ground and walked towards where his master was waiting. Although the voice sounded close, Skrawl’s office was actually a good distance way. The zoner had a loud voice, a big set of lungs on him. Probably because he wanted to make sure that his minions heard every word he said, the egocentric jellybean.

Mint headed down the hallway until he came across a pair of large doors. He looked up at how high they went. Almost towards the ceiling, and this ceiling was rather high. About twenty feet in the air. One door was already open, and at first, all he could see inside was blackness. At a glance, that looked like all that was inside there. But Mint knew better and he walked in.

His master’s room was large, but had not a lot of stuff in it. He wondered why Skrawl didn’t take advantage of all the space and use it for more than just sitting in that chair of his giving orders. Oh well, it wasn’t any of his business anyway.

Mint could see Skrawl sitting in his chair. He was glaring down at him. The sight of this made him flinch a little. The narrowed eyes, the slightly clenched teeth, the way his finger tips touched each other... Skrawl clearly wasn’t in a good mood. He wondered what it could be. Maybe part of the plan had gone wrong. Maybe one of his...what were they called...Beanie Boys had gotten out of line. But wait...that couldn’t be it. Why would he call for him specifically unless...

..unless it was he who Skrawl was mad at.

Mint stopped in his tracks. Why...he didn’t know. Why was he feeling nervous around this guy? He wasn’t fully real, was he? This was just all part of some weird game, isn’t it? He couldn’t really get hurt here. At least not that badly. Yet despite knowing this, he still felt uncomfortable when Skrawl kept looking at him. A part of his mind was telling him run, and yet there he stood.

Before he knew it, he found himself taking a step back. And in doing so, he earned a snarl from Skrawl. More of his teeth was exposed. Mint felt even more uncomfortable than before. He wanted to get out of here, yet he couldn’t stop staring into Skrawl’s eyes. Something about them...it was like a vice girp.

Skrawl reached out with his hand and waggled a pointed finger in his direction. “Come here, Mint... We need to..talk..”

Seeing he had no choice, Mint walked towards Skrawl’s desk. He moved slow. He looked around him and saw a group of Beanie Boys had come into the room. They didn’t do anything; they just sort of hovered around. All of them looked at him with blank expressions. The sight of this made him feel uneasy. The Beanie Boys usually had smiles on their faces. Goofy ones. To see them like this...it was unnerving.

Mint soon arrived inches in front of Skrawl’s desk. He stared at Skrawl nervously, wondering what he wanted. What had he done to make the jellybean so upset with him? He was going to find out soon enough.

“Mint, I have a...question for you.” Skrawl said in an uncomfortably calm voice. It was clear he was trying to fight back his anger. “One of my Beanie Boys says that you had Rudy, Penny, and Snap at your mercy. Your beastly creation had Snap pinned down, and Rudy and Penny were begging you to let him go. Instead of seizing the opportunity..you let Snap go.” Skrawl leaned forward a little. “Is this true?”

The boy looked left and right nervously. He tried to think of an answer that would satisfy Skrawl, but the only answer he could give him, he knew would make him upset.

“Answer me!” Skrawl snarled, his voice a little growly.

“Y-Yes.” Mint said softly. “I did release Snap and let them go.”

At this, Skrawl took the hand he used to gesture to Mint and formed a fist with it. Seconds later, he slammed it against the table, causing Mint to flinch. The desk had shook a little from the force of the blow. Skrawl shot out of his seat and put his hands on the desk and leaned forward. It was so swift, Mint had to move back or get hit by the jellybean’s head.

“Why?! I didn’t tell you anything about ‘letting them go’! Your assignment was to keep them busy! And you let them go!” Skrawl yelled at him. He raised a hand in the air, arching his fingers, the points facing towards Mint. “You do not show mercy to our enemy! You had them right under your fingertips! You could have done so much! You blew your chance!”

Mint took a few steps back away from the angry jellybean. This wasn’t the first time he had seen Skrawl lose his temper like this. But it was the first time such rage was directed at him. His eyes widened a little as he stared at Skrawl. He wondered if he should run or stay put. Hmm...probably stay put. He imagined the punishment would be worse if he tried to get out of here.

He didn’t know what Skrawl had wanted him to do with Snap. Besides, it wasn’t like letting him go really changed much. They were still able to seize what they were looking for. The distraction still did the trick. So why was he upset? Was Skrawl really expecting him to be a merciless monster? Because if so, Mint wasn’t sure just how far he’d be willing to go.

He had to at least try to explain to Skrawl why he did it, though. Maybe if he put it to words, the jellybean would understand and lay off. He had been helpful to him so far. He seemed like an intelligent person...er...jellybean... Surely he would understand once he explained it to him the best he could.

“Well you see, Skrawl,” Mint said. “The plan was already going well. I had managed to distract them for you long enough for you to do what you wanted. There was really no need for me to keep holding them there. And Snap did look like he was in considerable pain, so I...”

Mint realized too late the mistake he had just made. Skrawl jumped out of his seat and moved towards him. Mint moved backwards, putting his hands out in front of him. Even though this wasn’t entirely real, he felt unsafe all of a sudden. There was intent in those mismatched eyes. A part of him was screaming at him to run away. Perhaps he should listen to that part of him.

He saw Skrawl’s hand raise up. He widened his eyes as he started at the tips. So pointy...so sharp... He swore he saw them glint in the light. Then, seconds later, he struck out. He was unable to get out of the way as the claws dug into his skin. With a single motion that lasted a second or two at most, Skrawl slashed Mint cross his upper chest. Mint let out a cry. The force knocked the kid back a little, making him stagger to stay on his feet.

Mint’s eyes widened in a mixture of shock and pain. He stared down at where Skrawl hit him. The claws had ripped through his shirt and he could see a little bit of red. With a shaky hand, he pressed his fingers against the scratch marks and winced. He pulled his shirt collar out and looked at the extent of the damage. Three red marks adorned his chest now, stinging with pain.

He looked at Skrawl, his body trembling now. He couldn’t believe that he had managed to hurt him. What...what kind of game was this where a move like that hurt him physically? Either this was one advanced game...or he had bitten off more than he could chew. Had he made a huge mistake in working for Skrawl? Was it a bad idea to have come to ChalkZone in the first place? He started to move further away from the enraged jellybean.

“I don’t care how much pain you believe Snap was in! You were given an order to stay there until I gave the word!” Skrawl snarled. He lifted up his hand again and snapped his fingers. “You seem to forget who is in charge here, Mint.”

The Beanie Boys came flying over. Mint looked all around, his eyes widening in horror. The boy tried to run, but the Beanie Boys seized him. They grabbed his arms and held him still. Mint tried to struggle, but it was no use. The Beanie Boys were too strong for him.

As the Beanie Boys held onto him tightly, Skrawl started to walk slowly towards him, the same angry snarl on his face. His hand, the same one he struck him with, was flexing in anticipation, like he was going to hit him again. Mint’s heart started to pound as the jellybean got closer to him. And when Skrawl was right in front of him, Mint found it hard to meet his gaze. Just looking into those eyes....he felt his blood freeze.

Skrawl stood a foot in front of the boy. He folded his arms, balancing himself perfectly on just one leg. He glared down at Mint with a look of contempt.

“You obey me. You listen to only me, you got that?” Skrawl told him, his voice dark and dangerous. He pointed a finger towards the trembling boy. “I am your master! I am your boss! You do not make plans of your own! You do not deviate from my brilliant plan! And if you have the enemy at your mercy, you are to take advantage of that! If you have them in your grasp....” Skrawl took a step closer. “..squeeze every bit of resistance out of them....”

“What..?” Mint started to say. “But, master...”

He was quickly silenced when Skrawl slapped him with the back of his hand. Mint’s head was twisted to the side. He gave a yelp, wincing at the stinging pain on his now reddened cheek. A couple tears of fear formed in his eyes as he slowly looked back up at Skrawl. He then lowered his head a little.

“Don’t you ever talk back to me, Mint! If you do so again, I will do much worse.” Skrawl reached down and pressed a pointed finger against Mint’s chin. He put pressure on it. Mint winced at the pain and moved his head up. Skrawl didn’t stop pushing on his chin until he was looking at him straight in the eyes. “Do you understand me?”

Letting out a soft whimper, Mint nodded his head, careful not to hurt himself on Skrawl’s claw. Skrawl smiled at this and moved his hand away. Mint lowered his head in a submissive posture.

“Good. I’m glad we understand each other.” Skrawl said, smiling down at the frightened boy. “You are the best addition I’ve made, Mint...” Skrawl turned and walked away. Mint watched him move away. Then Skrawl stopped and gave a sideways glance. He said in a menacing voice, “And I am not about to lose my hold on you...”

Lifting up his head, Mint’s eyes widened in fear. He would have thought that Skrawl couldn’t do anything to hurt him. But he had...twice... There was so much about this ChalkZone he didn’t know. If he disobeyed Skrawl again, would he come after him? What was Skrawl truly capable of?

Compliance was his only option. It was all he could do.

“I...I won’t disobey you again...master...” Mint said in a low voice.

Skrawl’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You better not, Mint. Otherwise, well...let’s just say I have ways of making you more cooperative...”

Mint gulped and lowered his head submissively. Skrawl grinned at this. Mint realized now, more than ever, he really had gotten him into something bigger than he could handle. He had to wonder one thing. Would he be able to get out of this mess he put himself in?