The Goats From Gemma Meadows (Part 2)

Things looked bleaked for the three goats. Sarah had a terrible tummyache from eating too much marshmallow wall, and, with Pete trying to nurse her back to health, Cliffey was the only one still eating their path to freedom.

But boy could he eat. Everyone knows that goats will eat anything, but who knew they could so much of it?

There were about four inches of marhsmallow left when suddenly...

"The troll!" gasped Sarah, who still sounded quite ill. "He's coming back to life!"

Pete turned around and, yes, clear as day, the puddle of goop that was once that evil troll had started to pull itself together. Already, the troll's horrid green legs were complete, and the bulge of his stomach was coming along nicely.

Cliffey didn't bother turning 'round. He just ate faster. Before that day, only one team of goats had managed to chew through the marshmallow wall and escape. It had taken them a good couple of hours, and there were five of them.

Cliffey was working alone, and with this newfound urgency it looked as though he would break through in a matter of minutes.

Two and a half inches to go.

The troll's disgusting chest arranged itself into place.

Two inches.

His arms began to take shape.

Inch and a half.

The troll, still headless, staggered forward. Sarah and Pete screamed for Cliffey to keep going.

Half an inch left.

As his chin came back into being, the troll's repulsive left arm took a swing at Sarah.

But too late. Cliffey had finished the marshmallow wall, and the very moment he saw daylight, Pete had grabbed Sarah and run for it.

* * *

Once they were sure they had lost the troll, the three goats stopped to plan their next move.

"We're past the troll bridge," Sarah realised aloud. "Now there's nothing standing between us and Joel Fields, where the grass is twice as green and the dandelions twice as dandy as in Gemma Meadows."

"Let's go!" said Pete enthusiastically.

"No."

Sarah and Pete turned to Cliffey. He was shaking his head.

"No?" Sarah's face fell. "But why, Cliffey? We beat the troll! There's nothing stopping us! It's what we've always dreamed of!"

"NOBODY!" roared Cliffey suddenly. "NOBODY HAS EVER EATEN AS MUCH MARSHMALLOW AS I JUST HAVE. I AM RETURNING TO GEMMA MEADOWS, WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN ENOUGH AND THE DANDELIONS JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF DANDY!"

"But Cliffey," said Pete. "We're so close!"

"Close to what, Pete?" Cliffey was quieter now. "The troll was just the beginning. Who knows what else is in Joel Fields?"

"Greener grass!"

"Dandier dandelions!"

"How do you know?" said Cliffey. And with that, he turned around and headed back towards Gemma Meadows.

A breeze blew through the trees that lined the path.

"Are we going back too?" asked Sarah.

Pete shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

"No."

Sarah wasn't sure what to say.

"But Cliffey-"

"Cliffey can live his own life. We've got a new one waiting for us in Joel Fields. Come on!"

TO BE CONTINUED