We get inside the house. Judy starts to rummage through a desk, but then she and Nick get caught up in a chain and are hanging from the ceiling. “Do you need any help?”, I ask the two of them.

“Pfft. No.”, Nick says as he dismantles the lock. But it doesn’t work; they get stuck hanging upside down.

“This really isn’t my day!!”, Nick sighs.

“I GOT IT!!”, Ben yells, and throws the Sword of Harmony like a boomerang. It slices the chain suspending them, making them fall to the ground.

“Did you get the address?”, Nick whispers. Judy nods. I hear footsteps, so I grab both of them and run under a table. Ben dives under the table just as someone flicks on the light switch. We hide under the table as we watch a birthday party unfold. The dad polar bear hesitates before offering his son some sort of collar.

“Wait a second... that’s the same kind of collar that I’m wearing!!”, Ben whispers. The kid puts it on and starts dancing. Then, the collar shocks him!!

“What the hell???”, Judy swears. I look and see that Nick’s wearing one too.

“This ‘tame’ collar shocks you whenever your emotions get too high.”, Nick explains. We then leave.

Author's Note

This chapter originally was inspired by this scene: