Chapter 1
Chapter 1
It was not long after they had rescued Steven, Jake, and the other Marc’s mothers that they went on another adventure together.
This time, their new friends came to them. “It’s our dads,” Steven explained. “Our fake moms came back, and told them if they don’t let them hurt us, they’ll take us away from them. They took our real moms again, too.”
“We’ll save them,” the first Marc promised them. They called Buddy, Teddy, Ian, and Isaac out, and got on their horses – again with the first Marc, Steven, and Jake riding on the first Marc’s horse Moon, and Randall and the second Marc riding on Randall’s horse Shadow. They again gave Buddy and Teddy things that smelled like Steven, Jake and the second Marc’s mom to smell so they could find them, then rode off.
“I think I should have a new name,” the first Marc said as they rode. “That way, it won’t get confusing having two Marcs.”
“What will your new name be?” Randall asked.
The first Marc thought. The knight in one of the stories he had read had been named Percival. The knight in another story had been named Peredur. “Perry,” he decided.
“Can I call you Markie, instead?” Randall asked.
“You can,” the first Marc – no, Perry -- said. “To everyone else, though, I’ll be Perry.”
They soon arrived back at the cave where Steven, Jake, and the second Marc’s – no, just Marc – moms had been prisoners the first time. They all went inside together, including the animals. They found the three moms again, and hugs were exchanged. “This time, we have to fight them at the house,” Steven’s mom said. “We have to make sure your papis know they aren’t us,” Jake’s mom added. “And we have to make sure they never come back,” the second Marc’s mom said. “We, you, and your dads have to fight them together. As a family.”
They went to Steven’s house first. Steven’s dad and fake mom were sitting at the dining-room table, eating quietly. “Elijah!” Steven’s mom called. He turned to look at her. “That isn’t me,” she said. “We have to fight her, to make her go away.”
“She’s lying!” the fake mom said. “She’s the fake!”
“Elijah,” the real mom said. “Think about it. Have you seen her do anything I would never do?”
“Yes,” Steven’s dad said after a moment. “She told Steven she hated him, and when I told her to stop or I’d take him and leave, she said she’d call her family, and they’d get me in trouble with the police for lying.”
“Then you know she can’t be me,” the real mom said. “I would never do that to our son or to you, would I?”
“No,” he said. “You wouldn’t.”
“Alright then,” she said. “We have to fight her, and make sure she never comes back.”
Marc and his real mom went over to his dad, and stood with him. They all glared at the fake mom. “Leave,” Steven’s real mom said. “Never come back,” his dad added.
They charged at her, then knocked her to the ground, and she vanished.
They went to Jake’s house next. Jake’s dad was sitting on the couch, while his fake mom hovered over him, screaming. “Elias,” Jake’s real mom said, pronouncing it eh-LEE-as. He turned to look at her. “That isn’t me. We have to fight her, make her go away.”
“She’s lying!” the fake mother screamed. “She’s the fake!”
“Elias,” the real mom said. “Have you seen her do anything I wouldn’t do?”
“Yes,” Jake’s dad said. “She hit Jake, and when I told her I’d take him away if she didn’t stop, she said she’d call her family, and they’d take him away from me.”
“Then you know she can’t be me,” Jake’s real mom said. “I would never do that to you or our son, would I?”
“No,” he said. “You wouldn’t.” He glared at the fake mother, as Jake and his real mom went and stood with him. “Go away,” he told the fake mom. “Never come back here again,” the real mom added. She started toward them, but they knocked her to the ground, and she vanished.
They went to the second Marc’s house next. Marc’s dad and fake mom were standing in the living room, arguing. “Elias!” Marc’s mom called, this time pronouncing it like the first Marc’s dad’s name was pronounced. He turned to look at her. “That isn’t me. We have to fight her, make her go away.”
“She’s lying!” the fake mother screamed. “She’s the fake!”
Marc’s dad thought. “No,” he said, carefully. “You threw Marc out of the house, and told him to never come back. My real wife would never do that.” He glared at her, as Marc and his real mom went to stand with him. “Go away,” Marc’s real mom said. “Never come back,” his dad added. The fake mom lunged at them, but they knocked her to the ground, and she vanished.
Marc’s dad rushed over to hug Marc and his real mom, and they hugged back, hugging each other at the same time. Jake and Steven and their parents did the same thing. “How do we know they won’t come back?” Marc asked.
“They won’t,” his mom said.
“They know none of us will be fooled anymore,” his dad added.
“They know they’ll have to face all of us next time,” Jake’s dad put in.
“They’ll never come back here again,” Steven’s mom concluded.
And they never did.