CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: HE FOUND ME

RACHEL'S POV

"We're supposed to be working together, but he will never listen. Mr. 'I-am-always-right,'" I muttered angrily, pushing through the dense trees. I checked the map again, hoping to find some familiarity with the route I was following, but it was useless.

"Should I have just listened to him?" My inner voice questioned, but I shook my head stubbornly.

Suddenly, I heard noises ahead, startling me. "Hello, anybody there?" I called out, trying to sound brave, though fear gripped me.

Then, four puppets emerged from behind the trees. At first, I sighed in relief, thinking they were just part of the challenge. But their demeanor was anything but friendly. They moved toward me slowly, pulling out a net.

It dawned on me—they were trying to trap me, prevent me from reaching the castle.

Instinct kicked in, and I turned to run back the way I came, but two of them had anticipated this and took a different route, blocking my escape. Of course, they were familiar with the terrain.

I change