Hellbent
Chapter 1
Smoke and Ash
It was the summer of 1984 in Golden Shore, Koala State, Australia. The warm night air was filled with chirping crickets and a haze of smoke permeated the room. The room resembled a psychedelic daydream with the bright fuschia glow of a lava lamp and colorful posters on the walls. The moonlight casts down onto someone in a deep slumber. They had olive tan skin and their shoulder-length ombre hair draped over their bulbous nose and round face. Tufts of hair resembling cat ears were perched on the top of their head and their cat-like mouth added to their feline characteristics. They had soft and delicate features that could be considered both feminine and masculine or neither. Their pajamas had paisey and cat faces all over them and clung tightly to their plump physique. They had two black cats sleeping on each side of them. One of the cats was a fluffy tuxedo cat with a pink nose and the other was a silky black Burmese cat.
The loud rupture of a bursting door snapped their cerulean blue eyes awake. They resembled a deer in headlights with their bright, doe-shaped eyes and bewilderment.
"BRANCH! Get up! We have to go now!"
A gruff voice with a thick Australian accent thundered with urgency. Branch's heart sank when he saw the dark-haired man in the leather jacket towering over him. His long brown hair cascaded past his chest and he had an undercut on the left of his head and an eyebrow piercing. He had the same olive-tan complexion and striking blue eyes as Branch, but unlike Branch, he was fit with a slim waistline and possessed strong masculine features. His eyes were a darker shade of blue and Branch had never seen a fear like that in his eyes.
Branch: "L-Lake?! What's going on?!
He said groggily in a feathery voice and matching Australian accent. His heart sank when he sniffed the air.
Branch: “…is something burning?!"
He gasped, holding his cats close to his chest.
Lake: "The house is on fire! Grab your cats and LET'S GO!"
He commanded, grabbing Branch by the arm.
Branch: "W-WHAT?! Oh my god, w-what happened?!"
He stuttered as he stood close to Blake and he led him and their cats out of the room.
Branch: “Lake?!”
Branch followed Lake out of the room where they were met with a gush of smoke billowing from down the hall. Branch clung to Lake with terror and uncertainty as a wave of flames came trailing up the stairs, blocking their bedroom and their escape down the stairs. Lake swung around on his heel, grabbing Branch’s arm and leading him into the bedroom at the end of the hall away from the inferno.
The master bedroom resembled a time capsule of the 1960s—its gaudy mustard walls and technology were from a bygone era, collecting dust. Branch’s bottom lip trembled when he gazed upon a photo on the nightstand of what looked to be him and Lake as children with their parents. Their mother resembled Branch with her chubby figure and long golden hair. She wore a paisley blue silk scarf around her neck and was dressed in a white dress. Their father resembled Lake with his dark features and fit physique. He was dressed in an auburn Afghan coat with a faux fur ivory trim. Branch picked up the photo and swung his gaze over to the coat hanging on the door. Branch draped the coat over his pajamas, shoving the photo into it. He then grabbed the wooden box with a sun design, along with the paisley blue scarf their mother wore in the photo.
Lake picked up a sun-shaped ornament off the wall and threw it at the window, smashing the glass open upon impact. He turned to Branch who was turgid with fear.
Lake: “You first, Branch. Jump out the window!”
He gestured for Branch.
Branch: “W-WHAT?!”
Branch screamed when he looked out onto the lawn from the second-story window.
Branch: “O-oh no, no, no! I can’t do this, Lake!”
Branch sobbed and rocked back and forth.
Lake: “Yes you can! You have to!”
He said, shoving Branch out the window. Branch wailed as he fell out of the window with his cats in his arms, landing on the lawn with a hard thud and yelp. he winced in pain, clutching his grazed knee as it started to bleed.
Branch: “LAKE!”
He panicked, frantically looking for him.
Branch watched through tear-filled eyes as Lake jumped from the roof with the finesse and grace of a cat. He outrun the flames that engulfed the cozy Edwardian cottage. Blake landed next to Branch and scrambled to his feet.
Branch: “I-It’s all gone… Everything is gone…”
Branch sobbed and glanced down at the sun tattoo on his right thumb and stroked it. Everything around him went silent with an ear-piercing ring as Lake whisked him into an Orange Kingswood Station Wagon and they took off into the night, leaving it all behind them. Branch watched as the burning lights faded in the rearview mirror until everything faded to black.
Lake: “Branch…”
Lake’s voice cut through the muffled silence as Branch felt Lake tugging at his shoulder.
Lake: “Ashley…”
His voice grew louder and clearer and suddenly everything was bright.
~
Branch fluttered his eyes open, waking up in present-day 1985 Selene Valley, Possum State, Australia. He woke up to his brother tapping his shoulder, surrounded by beaming canary yellow walls. Branch was dressed in the same cat pajamas with his cats in his arms and he lay in a queen-size hardwood bed, wrapped up in a green paisley doona that matched the curtains. Tiny pots of rosemary, mint, thyme, and sage sat on the window sill, basking in the sun and looking out onto the growing garden in the backyard. Various crystals, feathers, and cat ornaments were around the room, along with a purple lava lamp on his bedside table. A handmade wreath with crystals and bells hung up on the door and a dreamcatcher hung from the ceiling above his brother’s head.
Branch: “Lake?”
Lake twisted his mouth and sighed.
Lake/Blake: “Blake. Don’t call me by my Sunshire name, Ashley…”
He corrected him.
Branch/Ashley: “Oh, sorry…”
He bowed his head, running his fingertips through his medium-length ombre hair and glancing down at the healed graze on his knee.
Blake: “We need to go to the shops. We’re out of food again.”
He declared.
Ashley: “Donut worry, Blake! We have nature’s supermarket in our very own backyard!”
He beamed, opening the windows to present him with his veggie patch of seedlings in the garden.
Blake: “Not yet we don’t. You only just planted those. It’ll take months for those to grow to harvest. You don’t have to keep living by the Sunshire ways, Ash. It won’t kill your ‘vibes’ to eat a grocery store tomato!”
He clicked his tongue and lit up a cigarette. Ashley’s face recoiled with disgust.
Ashley: “Non mi piace pomodoro…”
He shuddered. Blake blew a drag of smoke.
Blake: “And that doesn't account for our meat…”
He rolled his eyes as a brown chicken came waddling over to him at the window.
Blake: “So much for ‘Nature’s supermarket’ in our backyard. You want to keep living like we did in Sunshire, but we STILL have the fucking chicken! So, you can’t!”
He huffed, pointing at the chicken, trying to prove a point.
Ashley: “B-But Blake! Signora Pollo is my friend!”
He knit their eyebrows, petting the chicken.
Blake: “That’s exactly my point! You can’t live by the Sunshire ways!”
Ashley: “...Oh, I thought you believed in me, Blake…”
Blake: “I mean you shouldn’t live by these ways! It's not you that I don't believe in, it's them I don’t believe in.”
He clarified, glaring down at the matching sun tattoo on his thumb with resentment. Ashley bowed his head.
Ashley: “But these are our cultural traditions, Blake! Sunshire is a part of who we are!”
He countered.
Blake: “Not me.”
He folded his arms across his chest. Ashley opened his mouth to speak but stopped when Blake held his hand up, warning him not to press this further.
Blake: “Get dressed and let’s go to the store.”
He said firmly. Ashley nodded and rose to his feet, sauntering over to the wardrobe. He sighed at the only items in his wardrobe being their father’s faux fur coat, a pair of jean shorts and bellbottom jeans, a charcoal button-up shirt, an ivory shirt, and a handful of paisley or cat-print -scarves and bandanas of various earth tones, purples, and blues.
Ashley: “Maybe living minimally isn’t such a bad thing…”
He mused to himself.
~
Blake sat on the couch in the living room, outside of Ashley’s bedroom. Anubis, the black cat, sat on his lap, purring. Blake looked out of place in his leather jacket and cool demeanor, sitting amongst the bright canary yellow walls. He glanced up at the family portrait hanging above the brick fireplace and sighed. The jingling bells on Ashley’s wreath shifted his attention over to his door as he emerged from his bedroom.
Ashley: “Okeydokey, I’m ready now!”
He beamed, spinning around in his faux fur coat and bell-bottom jeans. He wore a charcoal button shirt and a cerulean cat scarf around his neck. He sounded like a housecat as the bells on his anklet jingled with each footstep.
Blake: “No you’re not. You need to wear shoes, Ashley.”
He shook his head at him, gesturing to his bare feet.
Ashley: “Ohhh, do I have to?”
He pouted, stamping his small feet on the hardwood floor.
Blake: “Yes. You can’t walk around barefoot out there!”
Ashley: “But, Blake, earthing is good for you! We aren’t designed to wear shoes!”
Blake: “I’m pretty sure stepping on needles isn’t good for you and I’m not having you bring dirty feet into our home.”
Ashley groused with disgust.
Ashley: “Eww, dirty feet!”
He shuddered and immediately slipped his feet into his brown paisley sandals. Blake laced up his Doc Marten boots and rose from the couch.
Blake: “Let’s go.”
He nodded, taking the keys off the hook and opening the door to leave. Ashley sauntered out onto the wooden veranda, looking out onto their lush surroundings. Their green weatherboard cottage was concealed amongst the trees and a long dirt driveway. The only sound they could hear was the gentle breeze through the windchime. Ashley merrily skipped over to the orange Kingswood station wagon parked in the driveway.
Blake: “No, I’m driving.”
He shook his head and commanded his way to the driver’s seat.
Ashley: “Ohh, you never let me drive…”
He sighed under their breath.
~
Blake drove with Ashley seated beside him in the car. They drove through the windy, forest roads of the valley, making their way into town along the coast. They approached the downtown strip booming with shops and people flocking to the beach and the small carnival park by the pier. There was a large mint green building with cursive pink lights that read "Selene Valley Plaza". Next to the shopping plaza were bustling restaurants and cafes. There was an alleyway behind them, leading to various nightclubs and warehouses that would come alive at night.
Blake quirked an eyebrow at Ashley who was running his fingers across the window beside him in a crawling motion.
Blake: “...What are you doing?”
Ashley: “Oh, sometimes, I like to imagine a cat running along as we drive!”
He chuckled, running his fingers along the buildings and treetops out the window.
Blake: “...Why? How would a cat run at one-hundred kilometers per hour? It makes no sense.”
He shook his head dismissively.
Ashley: “It doesn’t have to make sense; it’s imagination, Blake!”
He beamed.
Blake: “Well, I live in the real world where things make sense.”
He stated.
Ashley: “...It doesn’t to me…”
He said softly, glancing out the window, observing the tall redhead woman walking down the street dressed in a long red velvet gown with feather boas and high heels that looked like they could stab out your eye.
Ashley: "Like… Why is that lady wearing a curtain with those old men?"
He pressed, watching her talk to old men in business suits.
Blake: "That's a hooker, Ashley."
He said flatly.
Ashley: "Oh! Then why is she dressed like a granny?"
Blake shrugged.
Blake: "Your guess is as good as mine."
He hooked a left into the supermarket parking lot. It was an unremarkable brick building, overshadowed by the large shopping plaza looming beside it. On the other side of it, sat another remarkable building and one that grabbed Ashley’s intrigue and curiosity.
Ashley: “Ooh, can we PLEASE go to that place, Blake?!”
He pleaded, pointing at the building shaped like a Viking ship. There was a flashing neon red sign with a hamburger with horns on it that read ‘Voyage Burger’ in rune-like font. An animatronic of a Viking with a hamburger for a head stood out the front of the establishment, waving an axe with muffled robotic rasping.
Blake: “No.”
He twisted his mouth in disapproval as he got out of the car. Branch pouted and followed his lead, getting out of the car.
Ashley: “...You never let me go anywhere.”
He sighed.
Blake: "You're out now!"
He said, gesturing to their surroundings.
Ashley: "I know… but never without you and we never do what I want to do…"
He sighed and bowed his head.
Blake: “Because you’re not ready to handle the outside world yet. It’s dangerous.”
He said flatly, grabbing a trolley and entering the supermarket.
Ashley: “What can be so dangerous about a Viking diner, Blake?!”
He laughed.
Blake: “Food poisoning, heart attacks… obesity.”
He said coolly, glancing down at Ashley’s chubby physique.
Ashley: “You just don’t want to go because you think it’s stupid…”
He huffed. Blake’s eyebrows rose surprisingly.
Blake: “You’re not wrong.”
Ashley’s eyes lit up with glee when they turned down the baking aisle. He ran straight up to the cat-shaped cookie cutters.
Ashley: “Oooh! Can we please get these?”
He beamed, clasping his hands together. Blake drew a breath.
Blake: “We’re only getting stuff we need and we don’t need this.”
Ashley: “Yes we do! We need cat-shaped cookies, Blake!”
He exclaimed.
Blake: “Why? They taste the same no matter the shape.”
Ashley’s smile faded into a frown.
Ashley: “Because… it makes me happy, Blake… baking is the only thing that makes me happy anymore… since what happened…”
He huddled himself, bowing his head on the verge of tears. Blake softened a bit and sighed.
Blake: “Alright.”
He relented, throwing the cookie cutters into the trolley. Ashley brightened again and pulled him into a hug.
Ashley: “Thank yooouuuuu!”
He beamed.
They continued their shop down the next aisle. Ashley paused when something caught his curiosity across the fruit section. He saw a petite Japanese woman with braided orange hair and a red headband with horns on her head. She was dressed in a vermillion red dress with a chunky belt around her tiny waist and wore fluffy brown leg warmers on her legs with sandals. The woman turned to him when she heard the jingling of his anklet as he approached her.
Ashley: “Hello! I like your outfit! Are you a Viking?”
He greeted her with a smile and wave and read the gold name tag on her that said ‘Viqueen - Yvette’
Ashley: “Oh! Viqueen! I’m sorry… Yvette! I’m Ashley!”
The woman smiled up at him. She made Ashley, who stood at 5’7” look tall by comparison with her 4’10” height.
Yvette: “Hello! I work at Voyage Burger! Yvette is my Viking name at work! I’m Nariko Nakamura!”
She beamed. Ashley brightened with wide eyes.
Ashley: “OH! You have two names, too?! Me too–”
Suddenly, Blake’s gruff voice cut through them like a needle to a lead balloon.
Blake: “ASHLEY! Get over here!”
He hollered, gesturing for him to come to him. Ashley drew a long breath.
Ashley: “...I gotta go. It was nice to meet you!”
He smiled and waved at her.
Yvette: “You too! Have a nice day!”
Ashley’s smile faded when he turned around to Blake.
Ashley: "You never let me talk to anyone…"
He huffed and folded his arms across his chest.
Blake: “People can’t be trusted.”
Ashley looked over at Yvette across the store.
Ashley: “Really?! That sweet little lady dressed as a Viking?! Come on, Blake!”
He laughed, gesturing to her.
Blake: “Looks can be deceiving. It's always the ones you least suspect…”
His voice trailed off.
Ashley: “Well, I didn't get that vibe! I got a good vibe about her!”
He countered. Blake scoffed and laughed bitterly.
Blake: “Vibes aren’t real, Ash. You can’t judge people based on that.”
Ashley frowned.
Ashley: “You can't just write off everyone you meet, Blake! How are you supposed to make friends… or fall in love?”
He sighed longingly.
Blake: “Not interested.”
Ashley frowned.
Ashley: “I am…”
He said softly.
~
Later, during their drive home, Ashley glanced out the window, deep in thought. Something bright and neon caught his eye up the road. It stood out amongst the greenery surrounding them. Ashley squinted his eyes to get a closer look at it and as they got closer, he could see it was a man standing on the side of the highway. His clothing resembled licorice with its bright neon pinks and greens and his face was obscured by his neon pink wide-brimmed hat and pink sunglasses.
Ashley: “Oh no, that poor clown is lost in the woods!”
He gasped.
Blake said nothing and continued driving. Ashley turned to Blake with a beseeching look on his face.
Ashley: “Stop the car Blake, we have to help that poor man!”
He pleaded with him.
Blake: "No we don’t."
He sped up, driving past the man. Ashley bowed his head, giving the man a sympathetic look as they drove past.
Ashley: “That wasn’t very nice, Blake…”
He muttered with disappointment in their tone.
Blake: “We have to look out for ourselves and it's not our problem.”
He said coolly, lighting up a cigarette.
Ashley: “How can you be so heartless?!”
Blake: “Because you need to be to survive in this world.”
He exhaled sharply.
Ashley: “That’s not true…”
He bowed their head and shook it.
Blake: “The world isn’t sunshine and rainbows, Ashley!”
He rolled his eyes.
Ashley: “And it’s not doom and gloom either, Blake!”
He cried.
Ashley: "It's going to get dark soon… I worry about him… all alone in the woods at night…"
He sighed.
Blake: "He will be fine. Someone else will pick him up. Like you said, the world isn't doom and gloom."
He challenged. Ashley sighed, looking at the man getting smaller in the rearview mirror.
~
Later, they arrived home with their groceries. Blake turned the doorknob and entered the house into the living room. The kitchen was through the archway on the left. The Kitchen had a sense of warmth with its earth tones and sunlight casting through the window. The walls were covered in a gaudy 1960s-style wallpaper pattern and the benchtops and cabinets were bright lime green. Keke, the tuxedo cat, came trotting up to them, circling their legs. Ashley brightened at her and petted her head. He then pulled out the cat kibble, serving it to her in a bowl with mandala patterns painted all over it.
As they put their groceries away, Ashley drew a long breath, glancing up at the family portrait on the wall in the living room.
Ashley: “I wonder what Mum would say about us not helping that man… she always helped people and gave them food and shelter at Sunshire…”
He sighed. Blake twisted his mouth.
Blake: “...Well, she's not here… and we're not in Sunshire anymore!”
He said sharply through gritted teeth. Ashley bowed his head and huddled himself.
Ashley: “I know… I wish she was…”
A tear ran down his cheek. Blake turned back to the fridge with his back to him.
Ashley: “And I wish we were still in Sunshire…”
He was then startled by the loud slam of Blake’s fist on the table.
Blake: “NO! No, you don't!”
He snapped. Ashley froze and his bottom lip trembled.
Ashley: “...W-What do you have against our family and our traditions, Blake?!”
He cried.
Blake: “...You don't understand.”
He said in a low voice.
Ashley: “What don't I understand?!”
He pressed him.
Blake: “Everything! You don't understand anything about anything!”
He blurted and threw his arms up. Ashley recoiled as his words slashed at him like a knife. Blake sighed and softened a bit.
Blake: “...That's not your fault though. You were raised in a cult.”
Ashley: “A cult?! Sunshire wasn't a cult!”
He cried. Blake drew a long breath and rubbed his temples.
Blake: “I can't deal with you when you're like this.”
He sighed exasperatedly and left the room.
Ashley sobbed as he watched him go out into the shed in the backyard. He then heard the rustling of power tools as Blake chopped up wood. Ashley pulled out the cat-shaped cookie cutters they bought and busied himself with baking cookies. He pulled out cinnamon, vanilla essence, eggs, flour, and herbal butter with a slight green tinge. He sighed, glancing out the window, watching as the sun began to set. He couldn’t get that stranded man out of his mind.
The dinging of the oven snapped him out of his daze and he pulled the cookies out of the oven, placing them on the table to cool.
The car keys on the table shimmered in the light, grabbing his attention. He shifted his eyes to the family portrait on the wall and nodded. He picked up the keys, and the cookies, and crept out the door.
~
Ashley breezed down the highway, pushing a Led Zeppelin tape into the car stereo. He admired the beautiful sunset, casting an orange glow around him and a smile began to form on his face, followed by joyful laughter. He hummed along with the music, drumming the steering wheel with his fingertips.
He gasped when he saw the neon-clad stranger, sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the greenery. He was holding up a cardboard sign with crude, illegible handwriting on it.
Ashley: “Oh no, that poor man is still there!”
He knit his eyebrows, pulling over to the shoulder of the road beside him. He observed the man from closer inspection. He had tanned skin that looked like he had been bathing in orange juice for a week and his mullet was dry and yellow, resembling a haystack on his head. He was seated on a pink leopard guitar case and a cardboard box full of his belongings. His cardboard sign read “Rockstar in need of a ride! Wherever da wind will blow me, baby!”
Ashley stuck his head out of the window, greeting him with a warm smile.
Ashley: "Hello! Do you need a ride?"
A crooked grin spread across the man's gaunt face and he removed his tacky star-shaped sunglasses to greet him with his beady moss-green eyes.
"OWWWWWWH! Rock on, cool cat!"
The man hollered with glee in a nasal voice, rushing over to the car. He opened the door, threw in his belongings on the backseat, and climbed in. Ashley’s cerulean eyes sparkled.
Ashley: “Oh my stars! I love cats!”
He beamed, peeling back onto the road.
Ashley: "Eeee! This is so exciting! I've never met a clown before! How did you get lost out here away from your circus? I didn't even know Selene Valley had a circus, haha!"
He squealed with joy. The man's wide grin crumpled into a frown.
"NAH-AH! I ain't no clown! Don't you know who I am?!?"
He pouted indignantly. Ashley titled his head owlishly.
Ashley: "Haha, no, of course not, we only just met! A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet! I'm Bran– Ashley! Nice to meet you!"
He beamed and waved at him.
Maxx: "Da name's Maxxyyyyy! Maxxy Malone! I'm a VERY famous rockstar!"
He grinned. Ashley's eyes widened.
Ashley: "...WOW! You're a famous rockstar?!"
He gasped, clutching his cheeks.
Maxx: “Dats right!”
He said loftily, presenting Ashley with a glamor-shot photo of himself. He was making a pouty face with the title 'Sex Bees' above him with a crudely scribbled ‘T’ at the end. His signature was scribbled at the bottom in pink marker. Ashley snickered at the name and gasped, awestruck that he played in a band.
Ashley: “HAHAHA, Sex Bees! That’s hilarious!”
He giggled. Maxx’s nostrils flared.
Maxx: “...Sex BEEST! BEEST! T! T!”
He scolded him through clenched teeth.
Ashley: “OH! My apologies! Why does it say Sex Bees then?”
He laughed and scratched his head.
Maxx: “Cos, da printers made a mistake ‘n I didn’t wanna pay five bucks for new ones!”
He pouted and huffed.
Ashley: “Haha, you’re funny!”
He chuckled. Maxx gaped at him.
Maxx: “...Funny?! I’m NOT funny, I’m SEXY!”
He squawked. Ashley shifted his eyes and cleared his throat with an awkward laugh. He couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.
Maxx: “Gosh, haven’t you ever heard of Sex Beest?! You live under a rock or somethin’?”
He huffed. Ashley’s demeanor shifted into sadness and he bowed his head.
Ashley: “...Sorry, I haven’t heard of you… I guess I do live under a rock… I’m still learning about the outside world, so, please forgive me…”
He sighed sadly. Maxx gave him a look and a wide smile spread across his face.
Maxx: “Never fear Maxxy’s here! Maxxy can show you da world!”
He grinned widely, placing his hand on his shoulder. Ashley’s eyes lit up.
Ashley: “R-really?! You’d do that for me?!”
He cupped his mouth.
Maxx: “You’re darn tootin’! Dat’s what friends are for!”
He grinned at him. Ashley’s eyes sparkled.
Ashley: “...Oh wow, I’ve never had a friend before!”
He said softly with a gleeful tear in his eye.
Maxx: “Now you do!”
He snapped his fingers and did a finger bang. Maxx swung his glance over to the car stereo.
Maxx: “...You wanna hear some Sex Beest?”
He exclaimed, pulling out the Led Zeppelin tape and replacing it with a pink cassette tape that read ‘Sex Beest’ on it.
Ashley: “OOH, yes please!”
Roaring guitars blasted through the speakers, followed by wailing vocals.
“Rebel! I’m the rebeeel! We’ll sneak around in the niiiight! Gonna keep you up all niii-iiight!”
Ashley’s eyes widened and he cupped his mouth.
Ashley: “WOW! That’s YOU?! That’s amazing! You’re so talented!”
He gushed. Ashley’s high praises made a big grin spread across Maxx’s face.
Maxx: “Yep, dats me!”
He grinned smugly.
Ashley: “So, uhh, where are your other bandmates? I’d love to meet them sometime!”
He chuckled, scratching his head.
Maxx: “Oh, you will, Alexy, you will!”
He grinned, putting his arm around him.
Ashley: “Oh, my name is Ashley, haha!”
He gently corrected him.
Maxx: “How about Ash-rad?”
He winked at him. Ashley’s eyes sparkled.
Ashley: “Oh my stars! A nickname!”
He beamed with glee. Maxx examined him and a large grin spread across his face.
Maxx: “...Say… Ash-rad, you wanna go to a rockin’ party?”
He stroked his chin. Ashley tilted his head.
Ashley: “Ooh! A rock party? I LOVE rock parties!”
He beamed, thinking back to parties he had in Sunshire, sitting around a fire pit with various crystal rocks.
Maxx: “Good! Step on it, let’s get dis party started, OWWWWWWH!”
He hollered.
Ashley: “Yay! I’m so excited!”
He beamed excitedly, eagerly anticipating the adventure ahead.
TO BE CONTINUED.
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