Nowhere To Run

Part 1 of a series about Rudy dealing with a more cunning Terry.




It was a beautiful spring day in Plainsville. It wasn't too cold or too hot. Just the right temperature. A few birds flew in the skies, chirping away. The trees were starting to bud. There were a few tiny leaves starting to appear, a clear sign that spring really was here. Granted, the trees still looked pretty bare, but all that would change in the coming weeks as the leaves blossomed and grew, creating a cascade of green, providing shade for anyone who wanted to get out of the sun when summer came.

The coming of spring also meant that students were getting ever closer to summer vacation. For students, summer vacation was the ultimate holiday. Three months with no worries about school. They can do anything they want. Most students looked forward to it, and those who didn't were seen as weird by their fellow students.

Even teachers looked forward to the vacation. They worked hard every day to grade the paperwork, teach the class, among other things. They enjoyed the break because it gave them time to relax. They didn't earn money for their time off, so they knew they had to get back to work eventually. Many would take odd jobs in Plainsville so they'd have money to tide them over until school started up again.

Rudy Tabootie was walking down the street. He enjoyed the gentle breeze of the wind, the sound of the birds chirping. Today was a beautiful day to walk. He wasn't going to go too far. Just around the block. It was a particularly safe neighborhood, and his parents were okay with letting him walk around on his own, so long as he stuck to the neighborhood and came back soon, or at the very least, called and let them know where he was.

He had been more cautious about letting his folks know where he was. Or rather, coming up with an explanation for where he was. Sometimes he would be gone for longer than he had intended, and sometimes his mom would be a little worried as a result.

He still remembered the time when he was in ChalkZone for an extended period of time after he got into an argument with his parents, and his mom and aunt had been trying so hard to find him. He had been in ChalkZone trying to have fun, but to his mother, he had been missing. He wasn't anywhere where his mom would have expected him to be, and she had been worried sick. His dad not so much, but that was because his dad had confidence in him and knew he would be coming back, not because he didn't care.

He recalled, when he got home, how his mother had pulled him into a hug and said how worried she had been and asked where he had gone. Rudy had to come up with an excuse, but the only thing he could think of saying was that he just went on a really long walk. It was good enough for his mother. As she hugged him, he felt really bad for storming off like that, and made a silent promise to be a lot more careful next time when he goes away into ChalkZone.

Rudy took a look around the houses as he passed by them. He didn't see anyone out today. This didn't alarm him. Many of the neighborhood families had gone into town for the spring festival that was taking place today. Rudy and his parents planned on going as well, but not until later on in the afternoon. Rudy had decided to pass the time by going for a walk.

It was an unusual thing for him to do, as he would normally go into ChalkZone. But with his parents so excited for the festival, he wouldn't have had much time to slip into ChalkZone without possibly creating a problem. What if his parents had come up and seen him go through the portal? Or what if they saw he was gone and looked through his bedroom, only to find the portal into ChalkZone? He couldn't risk exposing that world like that.

Besides, he planned on visiting ChalkZone later that day. After the festival, he knew his parents would be really tired, so he would not be interrupted when he opened up a portal. He had told Snap earlier that day, early morning, that he would try to be in ChalkZone around 6:00 PM. That seemed pretty late, but it was Rudy's best guess as he had no idea how long his parents would be staying there.

He looked up towards the sky. He could see how high the sun was. It was shining brightly through the swirling clouds. He stopped walking, noticing he was at a corner now. He made the turn and began to walk down a different direction. He would soon come to another turn, and he would be walking down the street next to the one he lived in.

As he walked down, he started to slow his pace. There was one particular house here that kinda spooked him. It wasn't abandoned; someone did live in it. And it wasn't that he was even afraid of the guy. He was pretty nice and often gave out the best candy for Halloween. But his house...well there was a reason why this guy also had the best decorations on Halloween.

His house looked pretty spooky, all angular, pointed, and downright terrifying. It looked pretty old, too, as if it was just starting to fall apart. A step was missing from the porch and there were a few chips and kinks in the wood, looking all cracked. There was a small black fence leading up to the porch, with little spires on them to look all fancy and creepy.

And then there was the tree. The man had a large tree sitting beside his yard, tall and with low branches. It was always covered in cobwebs, even in the winter time. The sight of it made him shudder. And the leaves were thicker than on any tree he's ever seen, so much so that the ground the tree was on darkened to almost black. It was hard to tell just what was over there.

He always felt uneasy about walking in this particular place. He could handle it for Halloween, but any other time of the year, no matter how nice the man was who owned this place, no matter how harmless it really was, just something about its appearance always spooked Rudy. He stared at the house for a few more seconds, before he tried to rush past it.

Rudy walked quite close to the tree. Its shady branches stretched far, to the point where they practically hovered above the sidewalk. The moment passing by always felt like an eternity to Rudy. But he knew, in a matter of seconds, he would be by this creepy house.

Suddenly, without warning, he felt something grab him and pull him back. He tried to let out a scream, but something was pressed against his face. A cloth with something damp on it, and a horrible smell. He quickly realized it was chloroform and he started to struggle frantically, his heart pounding. An arm slung across his body and pressed him against something solid, holding him still. He tried to pull the hand holding the cloth away, but it was no use.

His thoughts soon started to swirl, blend, and blur. He began to get groggy and fast. The world started to spin around him. His struggles decreased slowly. Shadows seemed to come in all around him. He felt his knees start to buckle, too weak to hold him up. His eyes slowly closed, and then nothing but blackness.

sss

The first thing Rudy was aware of was an usually bright light hanging above him. It was enough to pull him partially out of his grogginess. He winced and turned his head away. He squinted and looked up. The lightbulb hung on a low chain, with a switch next to it that could be tugged to turn it on or off. He lowered his head, trying to get the brightness out of his eyes.

He still felt groggy, a pounding headache overtaking him. He felt like he had been struck in the head with something hard. He wondered if that is what happened. His vision was a little blurred, but soon everything started to come into focus. He looked around, his mind struggling to grasp what was going on.

He appeared to be in some kind of building. He didn't know if it was a house or something larger or what. The room was pretty plain looking, with hard floors and plain pale white walls. The coloration made him think of a business building, but the way the room was shaped reminded him of a house, or specifically, a house that was just being created. It looked pretty unfinished for a house.

He didn't see anything in the room. It was totally empty. Well except for the light...and the chair he was apparently sitting in. A simple wooden chair that was not too comfortable. His arms rested on the arms of the chair, while his legs pressed against the chair's legs. His back was starting to ache, and he wanted to shift himself a little, an attempt to get more comfortable.

But when he tried to move, he realized he couldn't do anything. The realization that he couldn't move caused his eyes to fly open. Any amount of grogginess and confusion vanished in an instant. He looked down at his arms. A thick cuff closed around his wrist, and then a larger one across the middle of his arm. He tried to move them, but the cuffs held them down tightly. He tried harder, but no matter how much he pulled and struggled, his arms weren't getting free.

He felt something cold across his legs and realized they had cuffs on them as well. A first one around his ankles, securing them to the legs of the chair. Then another one across the middle of his shins. He tried to move his legs but just like his arms, it was no use. There was no way he was going to be able to break metal. The more he struggled, the more he just hurt himself.

Forcing himself to stop, he glanced down at his body, trying to see if there were any signs of injuries to himself. He looked pretty fine. No blood, scrapes, or bruises to be found. The only thing wrong with him was that he was cuffed down to this chair. He could see there were some additional cuffs he hadn't noticed until now. Across his stomach and over his thighs were too more metallic cuffs, securing him firmly to the chair. When he tried to lean forward, he found a final cuff placed across his neck, holding his head against the chair's head.

His mind raced. He tried to think of what happened to him. Why had he been brought here? How did he get here? He barely remembered what he did last. Something about walking? Yeah...walking was definitely a part of whatever he was doing. But anything after that was a blur, blanked out as if it never had existed.

His chest filled with an uncomfortable sensation. Dread. He knew that he was in big trouble. It was more frightening that he didn't know where he was, who took him, and why. Was he being held up for ransom? Was he going to be taken somewhere far away where he'll never seen his family again? Was he going to be tortured, killed? His breathing quickened as these horrible thoughts plagued his mind.

He tried to control his fear. He tried to think rationally. He had to believe there was a way out of this. But nothing came up. Paranoia ruled his mind now. He was somewhere he didn't know, taken for an unknown reason. He had no idea if he was even going to be able to leave here alive. He stared down at his cuffs. He knew, whoever took him, had to have been a hostile, and obviously didn't want him trying to leave.

He heard the sound of a door opening. Then the pitterpatter of footsteps. He tried to turn his head to the source, but no matter how much he craned it, he couldn't see who it was at first. From the sound of the footsteps, it wasn't anyone too large. They sounded pretty light. From the way there was a bit of clanging against the hard floor, it sounded like this person was wearing high heels. A woman.

"I see you're finally awake."

Rudy froze at that voice. It couldn't be... He tried to turn his head to see the woman, but she was still out of his line of sight. That wouldn't last long. She was getting closer.

Soon, in the corner of his eyes, he could make out, barely, the colors green and orange. He felt his heart beat faster at the realization. Those were the colors that...she...had... And as the woman came more and more into view, and he was able to see her more clearly, his heart clenched tightly.

It was Terry Bouffant.

The reporter stood in front of Rudy, her arms folded against her chest and she stared down at him with a smirk on her face. Rudy didn't need her confession to know that she had been the one to kidnap him. Shock swept through his body. He couldn't believe that she was so willing to take a risk. It was one thing to kidnap Snap, as he didn't have a family in the real world. But to take a 10 year old boy?

He knew that Terry would sink low to get what she wanted. He knew that she had been tailing him and Penny for a time, trying to pry whatever information she could from them. But he had no idea that she would go this far... He didn't know that she would go as low as to kidnap him and tie him down like this. There was no way he could get away from her now. He couldn't run away or defend himself.

He had no idea what she was going to do with him. He didn't know how far her boundaries really stood. Was she the type of person to hurt another to get some kind of benefit? Would she threaten his friends and his family? Just...what was she going to do to him?

Despite his growing fear, Rudy put on a brave face. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at the reporter. He wasn't going to give her the benefit of having him look so helpless. He wanted to look like that he wasn't fazed by what she was doing. He didn't want to give her any sense of complete control. If he allowed himself to give in a little, she would walk all over him.

"What do you want, Ms. Bouffant?" Rudy said, mustering as much bitterness as he could.

"What do you think I want, Tabootie?" Terry said, still smiling down at the boy. She took a step closer to him and made a small gesture with her right hand. "I want to know more about this...world of chalk that you and your genius friend visit."

Rudy narrowed his eyes. Predictable Bouffant. She was still obsessed with ChalkZone. He tried to struggle again, prompting a chuckle from Terry, who was apparently amused by his attempts to escape. Soon he gave up, and he glared hatefully at her.

"I will not tell you anything..." Rudy said, his voice laced in hate. "There's nothing you can do to make me talk..."

Terry stared at him for a few seconds. Then her smile broadened. She moved closer to Rudy. She started to circle him. She folded her hands behind her back. She gave Rudy a sideways glance. The way she was looking at him really creeped him out, though he did his best not to show it.

As she came around behind Rudy, she started to speak. "Oh you really think so, Tabootie? You underestimate me... Even stripped of my high ranking title, I still have enough resources to find...a lot of interesting data. I know quite a bit about you...and your friend. How do you think I managed to pick the perfect time to abduct you? A time when most people would be away...when they wouldn't notice a child being taken away..."

At this, Rudy felt coldness in his veins, like ice had been stuffed into his body. The way she was talking, it was more sinister than he ever heard her speak in before. And the things she was implying... Just how much had she been following them? How much did she know?

He started to show a little bit of fear. He tried to hold it back. He tried not to let it go. Yet he was unable to. And at the sight of his fear, Terry got a smug look on her face. She came around the front of him again, staring down at the 10 year old. Rudy glared back her, but was unable to stop the light trembling that started to go through his body.

Terry looked at her fingers nonchalantly and said, "I have been watching you, Rudy... You've had nowhere to hide, except in that world of chalk you keep visiting." She lowered her hand and stared down at the boy, her dark brown eyes locking onto his green eyes. "And believe me, I've managed to..dig up a lot of dirt and you and on your friend. And don't bother trying to destroy it, because I've made copies..."

With a shaky breath, Rudy said, "W-What do you plan on doing?"

Smirking, Terry replied, "I have my ways of getting exactly what I want. And what I want from you, kid, is cooperation. That is all I ask. Do exactly what I say. Tell me anything I want to know."

Rudy cringed back a little, clenching his teeth. "What if I refuse?"

Terry narrowed her eyes at this, but soon relaxed them. She moved closer to Rudy. She reached out with her hand and cupped his chin gently. She leaned in closer and whispered in a low, menacing tone, "I will make you sorry..."

When she stepped back, Rudy asked the dreaded question. "How...?"

"As I've told you, I have a lot of dirt I dug up from you and Sanchez. There is a lot of material I can work with. Months of stalking you two really paid off, don't you think?"

Rudy's eyes widened at this, his mouth dropping open.

Terry continued, "A lot of what I found...I can get any deal I want out of you, Tabootie. But one in particular stood out." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a video tape and held it in front, making sure Rudy got a nice good look at it. She stared at it with a smug smile and said, "This video here has footage of you and genius girl going into the world of chalk. I wonder what would happen if I..uploaded this online?" She slowly turned her head, a creepy smile on her face, her eyes glinting.

Rudy gasped in horror. He started to struggle harder, trying to free himself. Terry just watched, smiling evilly as he tried to get himself out of the chair. He thrusted himself from side to side, trying in vain to pull his bound body out. But he exerted himself too much and he finally stopped. Aches swept through his body. The struggles caused him to bang his limbs a little and they started to get a dull pain.

He stared at the reporter, his eyes filled with terror. He had no idea if she was telling the truth or not. He didn't know if she somehow managed to get footage of them going into ChalkZone. But what if she did? He couldn't take that risk. If she exposed ChalkZone... He gulped at the thought. It would be a complete nightmare. He had seen what ChalkZone was like when there were more child creators running around. He couldn't imagine what it would be like if adults had gotten access to the place, especially scheming ones like Terry or Vinnie.

"Oh and let me add this..." Terry said. She placed the video back into her pocket. She put her hands on her hips and sneered at the boy. "If you try to tell anyone of what is happening here, if you try to go to genius girl or the chalk world for help, if you do anything rash without my permission..." She took a step closer, casting Rudy in her shadow. The boy cringed. "Just remember, I'm always watching you. I know where you are at almost all times. I know a lot about what you and your friend do, before, during, and after school. I know where you live. I know where your favorite places are. I know your routine. Trust me, do anything against me, and I will be quick to make you sorry. Remember, I have a lot more blackmail at my disposal than just you and Sanchez going into the chalk world."

It felt like he was being jabbed in the heart. The emotional pain he was feeling was intense. The fear was overwhelming him swiftly. He could feel it in his hands, his fingertips. His body shook, his eyes widened to the point where he thought they would fall out. He stared at the woman in sheer terror, his breathing shaky and coming in quick bursts.

Any amount of courage that he had tried to show quickly melted away. He had known Terry was a threat for a while. But he hadn't realized, until now, just how big of a threat she really was.

Stalking him and Penny...getting so much blackmail on them... He should have realized that she would stoop that low. But it still creeped him out. From what she was saying, she knew his life pretty well..no, really well. That was how she was able to kidnap him. She knew exactly what time he would be out. She knew that no one would be around to see the kidnapping.

And the fact that he cannot even go for help without Terry knowing about it...It made him feel absolutely helpless. It was like he literally had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide...

"Face it, Tabootie. I control you now." Terry said, smiling evilly at him. She could see the look of fear on his face, and she crossed her arms across each other triumphantly. "I call the shots. And you Tabootie.." She paused for a moment, like she was giving a dramatic pause. "You are going to help me expose the world of chalk. You are going to show the world that I am not crazy."

Rudy tried his best to resist. He shook his head and attempted to struggle again. That was no way he was going to help her do that. He..he wasn't going to betray ChalkZone... "No...I won't do that..."

Terry seized his chin and squeezed tightly. Rudy winced as her fingernails dug into his skin, scratching him a little. "Listen, Tabootie. I worked hard to get where I was." Her eyes narrowed, and Rudy could see the contempt she had for him shining inside. "And because of you, I had lost all of that." She released him and walked away, keeping her back towards him. She tilted her head to the side and glared hatefully at him. "Well, now you are going to help me get it back...or else..."

Rudy struggled again, but he had used up so much of his strength, he could only manage a few yanks before his arms and legs were too tired to be pulled around.

Terry turned around. "And you are going to give me back my magic chalk that you stole from me."

Rudy widened his eyes. He shook his head. "No..I won't."

Terry just smiled at him. "Oh yes you are. And don't even think about sending your..hair sucking monstrosity at me again." Her voice took on a dangerous tone. Rudy pressed his back against the chair as Terry got close to him again. "I won't have myself embarrassed in front of the entire town like that... If you try that stunt again..." She put her face so close that Rudy turned his head to the side. He stared up at her with a fear-filled eye. "Believe me..you will pay dearly.."

Rudy trembled harder. He had never feared this reporter this much before. Sure, he knew that she was a threat, but he was never outright terrified of her. But now, in such a short time frame, she become..utterly horrifying. He had never felt this scared before. The woman hadn't even went as far as threaten his life like Skrawl had, and yet he was feeling more fear towards this woman than the crazed jellybean.

It was because he knew of the damage that would be caused if just anyone was allowed to walk into ChalkZone. It was also because of all that Terry knew and was capable of. The fact that she figured out about ChalkZone without being there first was terrifying on its own. A glimpse of just how smart she really was. But all this information she had on him and Penny...he could bet she could spin any kind of tale to explain away anything that happened. She wouldn't get into trouble...

"So, what will it be, Tabootie?" Terry asked, crossing her arms. "And remember, choose wisely."

Rudy stared at the reporter, his eyes wide in fear. He couldn't stop his body from shaking. He couldn't hide the fact that he was afraid of her anymore. She enjoyed his fear, smiling down at him, her arms folded. She had that look on her face that said that she knew that she won this round.

Rudy's mind swirled with thoughts, trying to think of what he can do to get out of this. There...there had to be a way out, somehow. There just had to be... It couldn't end like this. He couldn't be trapped... He had to find a way out, something he could do to save ChalkZone. He couldn't allow it to be exposed. He had to keep it safe. He..he was the guardian. He was the protector. He couldn't betray ChalkZone. No, he couldn't do that... He wouldn't do that...

Yet as he tried to weigh his options, he knew how little choice he had been left with. Terry had so much information on him and his friend. She knew enough about them that she knew their daily routine...she knew where they went...she knew a lot... And she was using that information to her advantage. And, as he thought before, she wouldn't get into trouble this time. With her knowledge, she can easily come up with an explanation for any questions asked to her. She can easily put him in an area where he'd normally be, and keep an eye on him so he would not tell the truth.

It was truly scary, downright terrifying, all this stuff Terri knows. And that footage of him and Penny going into ChalkZone... If she showed that, there was no way anyone would think it was faked. If he was lucky, some people might think it was movie magic, but that was unlikely. It was a security camera, a well hidden one he and Penny had never noticed before. And Terri got the footage... She has footage of them going into ChalkZone, and she could show it to the whole world if she so pleased.

He wondered why she hadn't done that yet. He wondered why she would still want his help in uncovering ChalkZone, but then he realized...she had her reasons. The first one, she wanted to learn more about ChalkZone. She was obsessed with the place, and she probably wanted him to take her to the world of chalk where she could study it. And she wanted the magic chalk she took from the classroom back... She knew how much easier things would be for her if she had it.

But the other reason, it was a much more sinister one.

She may want him to help because...because she wanted to hurt him. Not physically, but mentally. Terry clearly hated him. She held him in great contempt for what he had done to her, how he had ruined her career. And she wanted him to pay for it, and she knew exactly how to do it. By making him betray the place he was supposed to protect... And if he didn't do that, she would still expose ChalkZone anyway, and he would end up suffering even then, as, on the video, he would be proving ChalkZone's existence by going through the portal...

He couldn't go for help. Terry always has her eye on him. She would know when he would go for help. She would punish him if he dared do that. Not that she wasn't punishing him now for messing with her job, but, from the way she spoke to him, she had something even worse in mind if he dared go out of line.

There was always going into ChalkZone and talking to his friends there, but...Terry would know when he went in there... And she would assume that he was going there for help, since she can't follow him in there directly herself. Whatever she had planned, whatever she had up her sleeve, it wasn't good. It was well thought out. She really knew how to box him in a corner, leaving him with little options.

There was really nothing he could do. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that nothing he did would have good results. He could refuse to help her, but she would play that footage on the internet anyway, exposing ChalkZone. And there was no way he could destroy the footage. The evidence Terry gathered, she made copies of, and no doubt she spread those copies in different places so that he wouldn't be able to destroy them all in time.

He could help her, but that would still result in ChalkZone being exposed. But in addition, he would suffer even more because he would be forced to betray the place he wanted so much to protect. The pain of betrayal...it stung. He knew that feeling, when Penny pretended to join Skrawl. And now Terry was going to force his friends to feel that way about him. Sometimes, emotional wounds were worse than physical ones. If he helped Terry expose ChalkZone...everyone in ChalkZone would hate him...brand him a traitor.

It seemed like the best route to take was to say no, since that path would result in a video being played on the internet, but it wouldn't necessarily be betrayal, as he could just say he was not aware of the security camera at the time, which was true. But...the zoners might still be angry at him... He remembered how Biclops was angry when Vinnie first came into ChalkZone. It was a total accident, and the giant was still angry with him. He couldn't imagine how Biclops might feel if something like...like this happened...

"I see you're having a hard time deciding." Terry said, breaking the boy from his thoughts. She walked around Rudy once, eyeing him up and down. "Which is odd... I thought you were supposed to be smart. I would have figured you'd know what answer you need to pick by now. Maybe you need a little..incentive..."

Rudy stammered, "I-I-Incentive...?" Terry nodded. "What..w-what kind of incentive?"

"As I've told you before, Tabootie, you're in my power now. I know how to get you to do what I want. And since I would rather make you suffer for what you did to me..."

Rudy's heart started to beat even faster. An uncomfortable feeling welled up in his chest. He stared at Terry in fear, wondering what she was getting at.

"Perhaps you'll make the sacrifice...if it means your dear friend will stay out of trouble." Terry said with an evil smile. Rudy gasped in horror at this. "You see, I have little reason to deal with Sanchez. She's not the one who ruined my career. She's not the one who humiliated me on national television." She narrowed her eyes and said in a darkened voice, "It was...you..."

Rudy moved his head back, flinched, and clenched his teeth at this statement. He didn't like the way she was looking at him. And strapped down like this, he felt totally helpless in her presence. His body was still shaking, unable to stop.

"I know how selfless you are, Rudy. I know that if one of your friends were in danger, you'd do whatever you could to help them...wouldn't you?" Terry tilted her head slightly, the smile slowly returning. She walked away, her hands again behind her back. "Well let's just say...I have something that will make life...interesting for Sanchez..."

Rudy gasped. "What...?"

Terry grinned darkly, turning her head to the side to give Rudy a sideways glance. "And this something...will land her in hot water. I guarantee that it will take her a long time to rebuild her life after this...And I will make sure the blame gets pinned on you."

Rudy stared at her in horror. Was Terry fibbing? Was she just trying to get to him? Or was she telling the truth? It didn't sound like Terry was in the mood to tell him just what she had planned for Penny. She could be lying. But then..she might be... And if she was, and if he refused to help her then...

...then Penny's life might be ruined... He..he couldn't let that happen. Not to her... But then, what about the people in ChalkZone? His head started to hurt, realizing just how pushed between a rock and a hard place he really was.

And putting the blame on him...just how far low was this woman really willing to sink...?

Terry almost seemed to read his mind. "And if you think I'm fibbing, well..." She crossed her arms. "Do you really want to take that risk?"

Rudy stared fearfully at the woman as he weighed his options. He..he really had nowhere he could go now. No matter what he picked, someone would suffer. No matter what, he would likely lose friendships, be blamed for something bad happening. Either he would be accused of betraying ChalkZone...or he would be accused of betraying Penny...And either way, ChalkZone would be exposed. Even if he refused to help her, ChalkZone would still be revealed to the world and there was nothing he could do about it. He could risk losing one, or both depending on his actions.

So those were his decisions and the consequences thereof. He could help Terry, and thus earn the brand of traitor, though Penny's life would be fine. Or he could not help her, but ChalkZone would be exposed anyway and Penny's life would be ruined. He would lose both...

He felt his heart thumping against his chest, almost ready to burst out. He looked around the room, frantic to get out of this place. The straps on his arms were feeling much tighter now. He was beginning to panic. He whipped his head around, desperate to get out, desperate to find a way to escape.

He started to struggle again, renewed strength flowing through his body. Terry just folded her arms watched with a glare as he tried, again, to get free. It looked like she was starting to become annoyed with his repeated attempts at escape. Rudy soon gave up, breathing heavily from the effort. He stared at her, realization washing over him like a heavy cloud. This was a nightmare..but worse. It was reality, cold harsh reality, and this time, he was not going to be able to escape it.

"If I'm not there in ChalkZone..." Terry said in a soft voice. She made a gesture with her hand. "Then I cannot guarantee the safety of your...other friend..."

Rudy's eyes snapped wide open at this. Was Terry...making another threat...? He felt sick, anger rising up inside of him. She was using his two friends against him, as an incentive to make him choose what she wants. Terry might not be as willing to attack another human, but she certainly had no problem with hurting Snap when she folded him up. She might not care so much about his life.

This made the situation that much more dire. Now, if he refused to help her, he was risking not only ruining Penny's life, but losing Snap...

Rudy's body filled with emotion, and he trembled from it. Fear, sadness, horror, it all intermixed in his mind, making him feel sick to his stomach. There was...there was no escape, he realized. And if she could threaten Snap like this...whose to say other zoners won't be in trouble as well? If he helped her, she might be willing to be more merciful. She might convince people not to harm the zoners. But if he didn't help her, she would let them do whatever they wanted with the place.

Thoughts of abused zoners flooded his mind. His eyes widened in horror at the thought. He wouldn't want the zoners to suffer... He wouldn't want his friends to suffer... If he chose to help Terry, then perhaps...

...perhaps the only one who would truly suffer was him..

"I-If I help you..." Rudy finally said, his voice soft. "...are you going to promise that you will convince people..not to hurt ChalkZone...? Would you be able to tell them to...to go easy..?"

Terry folded her arms against her chest. "Sure, kid. I have my ways of guaranteeing the safety of..what do you call them..zoners? Yes, I have my ways. Help me, and I will convince the mayor to declare the zoners a protected species. I will make sure that their lives are...mostly unchanged..." She paused, then she took a few steps towards Rudy. "But if you don't help me, I won't do any of that..."

How much could he trust her? How well could he believe she'd keep her word? But then, what choice did he have? If she did mean what she said, if she would make sure that ChalkZone isn't greatly harmed... Then perhaps...there really was only one decision he could make. And it sounded like, if he helped her, she would only expose ChalkZone to Plainsville. It was if he didn't help her that she would expose it to the whole world, which would have been so much worse... And in addition, she threatened both Penny and Snap if he refused to help her.

In the end, Rudy wanted as little people to suffer as possible. And if he had to suffer the most in order to keep his friends safe and ChalkZone...safer... then perhaps..perhaps he knew what decision he had to make. There was so little options. So little he could do. He was strapped down to this wretched chair, and he knew he wasn't going anywhere until he made a choice.

He really didn't want to help expose ChalkZone. But..he also didn't want to se ChalkZone and his friend suffer. He hated seeing anyone in pain. He was a selfless guy. He would gladly put himself in the line of fire if it meant that someone else was safe.

And it seemed like, in this case...that was what he had to do...

Rudy lowered his head in defeat, closing his eyes. "Y-You win..." He said softly, causing Terry to grin. "I'll..I'll help you... As long as you promise to make sure ChalkZone isn't hurt... I'll help you..."

"I knew you would make the right choice, Tabootie..." Terry walked over to the boy. She stared down at him, a triumphant smile on her face. "And you see..we both get something out of this deal. ChalkZone won't be in as big of danger as it would have been had you refused..and your two friends will be fine. And as for me..." She chuckled and put her face close to Rudy's. "I get my dignity back. I get my reputation back. And above all..." She put her face close to his. She spoke in a harsh whisper, "I get my revenge on you..."

Rudy winced and looked away. He began to whimper in fear and sorrow. This terrifying woman was going to ruin his life. He just knew it. She was going to do whatever she could to make him suffer. But at least, this way, it would only be him to suffer big time. He would do anything to keep ChalkZone and his friends as safe as possible...

...even if it meant he would be tortured mentally...

Terry smirked at his whimpers and said, "Seeing you like this makes me happy. Because now, you are finally getting what you deserve for what you did to me. I am going to tear you down, Tabootie... I am going to break you. And I am going to enjoy every minute of it."

She got close to him again. She put her hands on his shoulders. She leaned in closely, putting her face close to his. Rudy was intimidated by this. He struggled to get away from her. The straps didn't allow him to go anywhere.

"And by the end of it all..." She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "You will be begging for mercy."

Rudy trembled in utter fear and horror. His cries increased a little, and he felt tears dripping from his eyes. Terry...she was a bigger monster than he had imagined. She had forced him into this decision. She had threatened his friends if he dared say no. And now, she was going to torment him anyway she could as part of her revenge.

Sure, she was after the magic chalk. Sure, she wanted to show the town she wasn't crazy. But mixed in with all that, she had wanted revenge. She hated him, completely hated him for what he did to her. And she had set out to make him pay. And she had chosen the perfect way to do that...

Terry lowered her hands and began to undo the cuffs that held him down. When she undid the last one, she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him roughly forward. Her grip on him was like vice. He winced as she twisted it a little, digging her nails into his skin. She dragged him towards the door of the building, yanking him hard once, almost causing him to trip over.

"You can go home now, Tabootie. You aren't far." Terry said. "I will contact you when I need something done."

Rudy nodded numbly, not daring to look at her. His head was lowered in defeat.

"Oh and one more thing."

Rudy looked up at her, scared to know what else she had up her sleeve.

"While you were knocked out..." Terry put a finger on the back of Rudy's neck. He shuddered at the unwanted touch. She rubbed a small area in the middle of his neck. "..I took the liberty of putting in a tracking chip inside you. I'll know exactly where you are at all times...So now you really don't have any place to hide anymore. Well except maybe ChalkZone, but if you dare go there without my permission...if you dare contact Snap without my say..."

Rudy cringed away from the woman. He turned his head away and closed his eyes tightly, like he expected he was going to be struck.

"Well let's just say the results won't be pretty..." Terry grinned evilly. She opened the door and threw Rudy out. "Now go." She slammed the door behind her.

Rudy hit the ground hard. The dirt got onto his face. He felt a few rocks scratch him up a little. He groaned and struggled to his feet. As he looked around, he realized that he was still in his neighborhood, but further down than he usually would go. Terry had been truthful when she said he wasn't far from home.

His body shaking from the horrible experience, he began to walk home. He didn't move as fast as he did before. He didn't feel happy like before. Even though the weather had not changed, he suddenly felt colder, chillier. He wasn't happy about the festival anymore. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to go.

All he could think about was his encounter with Terry. She had gone from being just an annoyance to being utterly horrifying. And what was worse..there was no way he could get out of this. If there was, he couldn't see it. He was trapped, and now...his life as he knew it..was over. Terry was going to tear him apart, piece by piece. And she was going to do it with the very place he wanted to protect, ChalkZone. She was going to turn them against him...brand him the traitor...force him to expose the place he was supposed to keep secret.

And if he didn't, she was going to make him regret it dearly...

There had to be a way out of this. He couldn't think of it yet. But..somehow..someway..there had to be something he could do. A loophole somewhere, something he didn't think of doing before. And once he found a way out, he would make Terry pay for what she did. He would make sure that she would never have a chance to hurt him like this again.

He would make sure she got arrested for kidnapping. She had broken so many laws with what she did. Kidnapping him, threatening his friends, installing a microchip without a license... Yes, if he found a way without putting his friends or ChalkZone at risk, he would make sure justice caught up with her.

But for now, he had to listen to her. For now, he was her puppet, her pawn. And there was nothing he could do about it.

As he looked at the sky and felt a suddenly freezing wind blow through him, he could have sworn he heard Terry's voice.

"Remember, Tabootie. I'm always watching you..."