it.”
Now that’s curious. Why indeed? “Let’s go then.”
“Where?”
He looked her up and down. Sidebor couldn’t have asked for a better companion. He smiled. “Wherever we want.”
CHAPTER 26
Mind racing, Georgio sprinted for the balfrog. He didn’t know what else to do. He’d lost his friend once already. He didn’t want that to happen again.
Billip and Nikkel raced alongside him.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Georgio!” Billip yelled.
“He’s gone, Georgio!” Nikkel added. “Unless we can carve him out of that belly!”
Georgio pushed through them and tore out of their hands. Closing in, he raised up his sword and charged for the creature’s bulbous belly. He swung with all his might. The blade ripped clean through the skin, and pockets of fat seeped out. Like a lumberjack, he chopped into the great beast. Hunks of flesh gave way to his sword’s keen edge.
“KRO—ACK!”
Still hacking, Georgio glanced back over his shoulder.
A long pink sticky tongue lashed out and stuck to his face, suffocating him. It jerked him up off the ground.
Dangling in the air kicking and squirming, he swung like a wild man. His blade finally bit flesh, and Georgio crashed to the ground.
Billip and Nikkel seized him and dragged him away.
“Stop! Stop! Let me go!” Georgio cried. His fingers stretched out toward the monster. “Let me go!”
“You can’t kill that thing by yourself,” Billip said. The smaller man was straining to hold him. “You can’t!”
Georgio recalled what Pall had said and what Lefty was trying to do. It was madness. Holding out his sword, he said, “I know how to kill it. Inside out! That’s what Pall said!”
“Pall’s mad!” Nikkel said.
Redoubling his efforts, Georgio dug his boots into the ground, and he started dragging his friends along with him. “I’m going in! I’m going in!”
The balfrog’s tongues snaked out.
Georgio extended his arm toward them.
The pink and slimy flesh coiled around his hand and started reeling him toward the mouth.
Billip and Nikkel clung to his waist.
Georgio felt his shoulder pop out of place. “Let go of me!”
Wide-eyed, the men released him.
Propelled by the balfrog’s tongue, Georgio sailed through the air, and into its mouth he went.
Gulp!
Suffocating in hot slime, his body was being squeezed into a cocoon-like tunnel. His arms and legs were pinned.
Instantly, Georgio realized he’d just made the worst decision of his life. He couldn’t die from a wound, but he could drown. Now he would drown in his own stupidity.
His mind screamed.
What have you done!
His body plummeted and stopped on a soft padding. A cavern of flesh.
With his sword hand, he wiped the goo out of his eye. He was in a hollow space filled with flesh and guts. The organs had a warm glowing illumination to them.
“Georgio?” said a tiny voice.
He turned to the sound.
There stood Lefty, coated in slime with a dagger in his hand. His eyes were weak.
“Lefty!” Georgio scooted over to hug his friend, but Lefty stayed him with his hand. “What is it?”
“I can barely breathe,” whispered the halfling.
He’s right. I can barely breathe, either.
“Start chopping toward that sound,” Lefty said, “the heartbeat.”
Georgio heard it. Strong and loud.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
Lefty sagged onto his knees. “Hurry.”
“I’ll get us out of here!” Gripping Tonio’s jewel-encrusted sword with two hands, Georgio hacked away.
Balfrog innards splattered everywhere. The huge body tremored.
Focusing, Giorgio kept chopping toward the sound of the heart. At the same time, he fought to breathe. Deep down, he knew time was running out as he waded through the watery flesh. Still chopping despite the strength in his arms fading with the breath in his lungs, Georgio poured it on.
The thump of a heart pulsated somewhere nearby. Flesh blossomed and popped.
He cut a veil of flesh and surged through the opening.
There, a
Now that’s curious. Why indeed? “Let’s go then.”
“Where?”
He looked her up and down. Sidebor couldn’t have asked for a better companion. He smiled. “Wherever we want.”
CHAPTER 26
Mind racing, Georgio sprinted for the balfrog. He didn’t know what else to do. He’d lost his friend once already. He didn’t want that to happen again.
Billip and Nikkel raced alongside him.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Georgio!” Billip yelled.
“He’s gone, Georgio!” Nikkel added. “Unless we can carve him out of that belly!”
Georgio pushed through them and tore out of their hands. Closing in, he raised up his sword and charged for the creature’s bulbous belly. He swung with all his might. The blade ripped clean through the skin, and pockets of fat seeped out. Like a lumberjack, he chopped into the great beast. Hunks of flesh gave way to his sword’s keen edge.
“KRO—ACK!”
Still hacking, Georgio glanced back over his shoulder.
A long pink sticky tongue lashed out and stuck to his face, suffocating him. It jerked him up off the ground.
Dangling in the air kicking and squirming, he swung like a wild man. His blade finally bit flesh, and Georgio crashed to the ground.
Billip and Nikkel seized him and dragged him away.
“Stop! Stop! Let me go!” Georgio cried. His fingers stretched out toward the monster. “Let me go!”
“You can’t kill that thing by yourself,” Billip said. The smaller man was straining to hold him. “You can’t!”
Georgio recalled what Pall had said and what Lefty was trying to do. It was madness. Holding out his sword, he said, “I know how to kill it. Inside out! That’s what Pall said!”
“Pall’s mad!” Nikkel said.
Redoubling his efforts, Georgio dug his boots into the ground, and he started dragging his friends along with him. “I’m going in! I’m going in!”
The balfrog’s tongues snaked out.
Georgio extended his arm toward them.
The pink and slimy flesh coiled around his hand and started reeling him toward the mouth.
Billip and Nikkel clung to his waist.
Georgio felt his shoulder pop out of place. “Let go of me!”
Wide-eyed, the men released him.
Propelled by the balfrog’s tongue, Georgio sailed through the air, and into its mouth he went.
Gulp!
Suffocating in hot slime, his body was being squeezed into a cocoon-like tunnel. His arms and legs were pinned.
Instantly, Georgio realized he’d just made the worst decision of his life. He couldn’t die from a wound, but he could drown. Now he would drown in his own stupidity.
His mind screamed.
What have you done!
His body plummeted and stopped on a soft padding. A cavern of flesh.
With his sword hand, he wiped the goo out of his eye. He was in a hollow space filled with flesh and guts. The organs had a warm glowing illumination to them.
“Georgio?” said a tiny voice.
He turned to the sound.
There stood Lefty, coated in slime with a dagger in his hand. His eyes were weak.
“Lefty!” Georgio scooted over to hug his friend, but Lefty stayed him with his hand. “What is it?”
“I can barely breathe,” whispered the halfling.
He’s right. I can barely breathe, either.
“Start chopping toward that sound,” Lefty said, “the heartbeat.”
Georgio heard it. Strong and loud.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
Lefty sagged onto his knees. “Hurry.”
“I’ll get us out of here!” Gripping Tonio’s jewel-encrusted sword with two hands, Georgio hacked away.
Balfrog innards splattered everywhere. The huge body tremored.
Focusing, Giorgio kept chopping toward the sound of the heart. At the same time, he fought to breathe. Deep down, he knew time was running out as he waded through the watery flesh. Still chopping despite the strength in his arms fading with the breath in his lungs, Georgio poured it on.
The thump of a heart pulsated somewhere nearby. Flesh blossomed and popped.
He cut a veil of flesh and surged through the opening.
There, a
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