Once Upon a Time...

continuing (at last, sorry guys, I took off for the summer)

First Journey
Point Five

Hoe blinked up at Fin.

"You look suspicious," stated Spy Fin, studying him with an icy eye. "Why are you alone in this forest?"

Hoe wondered if he could trust Spy Fin. He cocked his head and studied the face of his rescuer. She was freckled, somber, and tall. "Hoe is looking for his friend," he whispered, reluctance weighing down his words.

"Friend?" Spy Fin squinted down at little boy.

"Yes, she left Hoe," muttered Hoe sadly.

"Well," Spy Fin shrugged, "You should come with me. You are drenched."

"Hoe is fine!" declared Hoe indignantly, stomping and sending water splattering to the ground.

"No, you are not! Do you have a family?"Spy Fin demanded.

"No,"  Hoe muttered. He did not want to remember his family.

"Well, I guess you have to come with me," declared the spy grimly.

With a another stomp, Hoe glared fiercely at her and shook it wet head. "Hoe is on a mission!"

Spy Fin snickered down at Hoe and tried to decide what to do. At last she made up her mind, "Your going to come with me! Your drenched!"

Hoe tried to stand firm and resist, but Spy Fin snatched him up, hoisted him onto her back, and raced off. With a long discouraged sigh Hoe gave up resisting. Instead he clang to Fin's back and tried to stay on. Fin came to a ginormous tree and jerked to a stop. Quickly she let Hoe slide off her back.

"We're here," Spy Fin grunted unenthusiastically.

Hoe glanced at the big but other wise plain tree, then back at Fin. Confusion was splattered across his face. "Um, this it?"

"Yeah," handing him a long vine, Fin nodded. "Hold on." 

Before Fin could explain, Hoe found himself flying up into the air. The vine was pulling him so fast he could hardly hold on. His stomach twisted into a knot. As abruptly as it had started, it stopped. He was dangling from a vine which, now that he could see, was not very long. He dangled 15feet up in 
the air feeling sick and panicky.

"Now let go!" shouted Spy Fin from below him.

"What?" Hoe sputtered.

"Let go!" Spy Fin screamed up. If Hoe could have seen her face he would have relaxed. She was 
clearly used to this procedure, but all he saw was spinning ground and green...his sweaty hands gave way.

to be continued