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Merengue's Marvelous Adventure

McCloud

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I wrote this short story about my beloved Merengue and I have submitted it to several giveaway contests, but it's never good enough. Based on my writing style, any suggestions on what I should do instead for the next Merengue giveaway I enter?

Merengue inhaled a deep breath of fresh summer air, the pleasant scent of cherry blossoms filling her nostrils. This was the reason she had traveled all the way to Seaside. Perfect cherries. While it was true that Mayor Cadbury had gone to great lengths to cultivate a beautiful orchard back in Essen, brimming with every known fruit both domestic and exotic, the climate there was not suited for producing perfect cherries. If one wanted the most delectable apples around, then Essen was the place to be. But the cherries there were mediocre at best and apples proved little use when one desired to bake a black forest cake. Thus Merengue had set out for the famed town of Seaside, often referred to as ?the town of a thousand springs,? a reference to both the town?s perpetually warm weather and its beautiful waterways.

Hundreds upon hundreds of trees, laden with plump, glistening cherries, dotted the landscape. Leaving the train station behind, Merengue hurried towards the nearest of these prolific fruit-bearers. She began filling the small satchel at her side with the bounty, but immediately halted her work as an agitated voice from behind commanded she do so. Turning to see who had spoken, she found herself confronted by a very grim-faced octopus, his arms crossed irritably.

?Mayor Wallace does not approve of strangers harvesting fruit without permission, sucker,? the octopus grumbled.

?I?m very sorry, Octavian,? Merengue apologized. ?I thought anybody could gather some cherries.?

?Yeah, well it used to be that way. But a few weeks back some suckers came into town and trashed the place. Took every last piece of fruit too. Since then, Wallace has been a bit wary of strangers.?

?Oh, that?s terrible!?

?Yeah, it is. Now I must insist you leave!?

?But? but I need these cherries! It?s Mayor Cadbury?s birthday and I?m going to bake her favorite cake with them!?

Octavian seemed to consider this for a moment. ?Alright,? he began reluctantly. ?Here?s the deal. Marina has been sick the past couple days, but for some reason, the Nooklings are out of medicine and they aren?t sure when the next shipment will be in stock. Think you can go to another town and bring back some medicine, sucker? If you do, you can have a basket of perfect cherries.?

Merengue?s eyes lit up. ?Oh yes, of course I can! I?m going to Duskwood to get some cream next! I can pick up some medicine while I?m there!?

Without even waiting for Octavian to respond, Merengue bustled off towards the train station. She had a schedule to keep. Even though Sprinkle, Tangy, Apple, and Bonbon had enough energy between the four of them to run a pack of wolves ragged, they would only be able to keep Mayor Cadbury distracted for a few more hours at the most.

?Thank you again!? Merengue called out as she exited through the sliding doors of the department store. Timmy simply smiled and nodded after her.

Main Street was bustling with activity. Villagers came from all over to try Duskwood?s local specialty, streetpass ice cream. Heralded as ?heaven in a cone,? this frozen dessert was made with a thick and extremely rich cream, the likes of which was nonexistent outside of Duskwood. Unable to resist the temptation, merengue stopped to get herself a double scoop cone of strawberry before crossing the train tracks. Savoring every bit of her cold confection as she went, Merengue wandered about the quaint town of Duskwood in search of Mayor Autumn.

At first she dismissed the sensation as a paranoid suspicion rising from an overactive imagination. There wasn?t anybody in sight. But as she progressed, the sensation became more intense and quite unnerving. She was almost certainly being watched.

?Who? who?s there?? she stammered, trying very hard but failing to keep the distress out of her wavering voice.

No answer. She screamed and let her sweet treat fall from her grasp as two large paws suddenly clapped down on her shoulders.

?Relax. It?s only me, snarrrl.?

?Wolfgang, don?t do things like that!? Merengue chastised the blue wolf, whirling around to glower at him. ?You almost gave me a heart attack!?

?Gahaha!? he laughed heartily, revealing his pointed teeth. ?You need to lighten up. I was just having a little fun at your expense. So anyway, what brings you to my neck of the woods??

?I need to speak to Autumn.?

?She?s not here at the moment,? Wolfgang frowned. ?She just left a little bit ago to collect signatures for Whitney?s petition. Something about ?bring back square-dancing? or the like. Sounds stupid if you ask me, snarrrl.?

?But I need to ask her for a quart of Duskwood cream!?

?Oh, then I have really bad news for you! Tipper is responsible for providing the town with cream, but she?s decided to move out. We don?t have any cream left and we won?t be getting any more from Tipper. She?s taking it all with her. That?s some of the last streetpass ice cream to exist,? Wolfgang remarked, gesturing towards the slowly melting pink blob on the ground. ?You probably shouldn?t have wasted it, snarrrl.?

Merengue briefly scowled at him, then sighed heavily. ?What am I going to do? I need some of that cream to make the perfect cake for Cadbury?s birthday.?

?Well, I suppose if you convinced Tipper to stay, you might be able to get some cream,? Wolfgang shrugged. ?Honestly, I don?t know why she decided to leave. We?re such a friendly lot? Fang, Chief, Lobo, Whitney, Freya, Skye, Kyle, myself? oh, and Erik! She hinted that she didn?t feel safe her, but how could that be with such great neighbors? Cows be crazy, right? Gahaha!?

He gave Merengue a toothy smile. His fangs really were quite sharp. Merengue had a pretty good idea why Tipper wanted to leave.

I suppose I can try and talk to her,? Merengue said uncertainly. She wasn?t sure it would do much good.

Wolfgang pointed her in the right direction and she made her way over to Tipper?s house. Merengue could hear someone shuffling about inside. She knocked twice. The sound stopped and was replaced by approaching footsteps. The door opened to reveal a very snooty black and white cow.

?May I help you?? she demanded huffily. ?I?m busy trying to pack up all of my belongings at the moment.?

?Hello, I?m Merengue,? the pink rhino introduced herself cheerfully. ?I was wondering if I could come inside and talk to you for a moment.?

Tipper rolled her eyes and waved her unexpected guest inside.

?Pull up a cardboard box and have a seat,? Tipper muttered. ?All my furniture is packed up. Just be sure there isn?t anything breakable in the box.?

Merengue was pretty sure that last remark was a jab about her size, but she ignored it. ?So Tipper, why are you moving??

?It?s like Erik always says,? Tipper explained. ?If you?re afraid of wolves, don?t go to Duskwood. I should have never come here.?

?But why are you afraid of them? Sure, some of them may be a little gruff and intimidating at times, but they can be really good friends if you let them. I?ve known Wolfgang for years. He used to live in my hometown of Essen before he moved out here. Sure, he may be a bit of a jerk sometimes, but he would never hurt anyone.?

?Look pinky, I??

?The name is Merengue,? she interrupted, an uncharacteristic edge creeping into her tone.

?Whatever. The point is I don?t need your advice. Don?t meddle in my personal affairs.?

?All I?m trying to do is help??

?And I don?t want your help! Go away, tubby!?

Merengue looked like she was about to cry. ?You know what, you should leave. You?re the rudest cow I have ever met and my friend Wolfgang deserves a much better neighbor than you! I wouldn?t make Cadbury?s special birthday cake with your soured cream even if you paid me a million bells to!?

With that Merengue stormed out of Tipper?s house and stomped back to the train station. She was about to depart on the next train out of town when she saw Wolfgang running up to her.

?Wait, don?t leave yet!? he yelled. Almost out of breath, he was panting heavily when he caught up to her. ?This is for you,? he wheezed, handing her an almost empty bottle of cream. ?I heard things didn?t go well with Tipper, but that doesn?t matter. Here?s just enough Duskwood cream to make a cake, courtesy of yours truly!?

?But how?? Merengue asked in disbelief as she gratefully accepted the proffered gift.

?I almost forgot I had it. I love to have some in my coffee every morning, but I never got around to using the last of it today. Whitney woke me up early and told me that someone had planted a bunch of pitfall seeds around her house. I had to go check it out immediately, even if it was just a paranoid suspicion. Guess that?s why I?m crankier than usual today. I never had my coffee, snarrrl! Gahaha!?

?Oh Wolfgang!? Merengue exclaimed, her voice quivering slightly with emotion. She hugged her friend with such great fervor she nearly knocked him to the ground. ?You?re the best friend a rhino could have!?

?And don?t you forgot it!? he chuckled.

As Merengue sat on the train preparing to depart for Moonveil, she could see Wolfgang from the window. He flashed that wolfish grin of his and waved goodbye as the train began to pull away from the station. Merengue waved back. As she settled back into her seat, making herself comfortable for the lengthy trip ahead, she found herself thinking about how much she liked her friend?s distinctive smile.

Merengue frolicked through the falling snow of Moonveil, sipping her cocoa and catching the occasional beautiful snowflake to take back as a souvenir. She dearly loved the winter and wished it snowed more often in Essen. But alas it didn?t, so she would simply have to make the most of her trip to Moonveil, a town eternally enveloped within the heart of winter. As she pranced along, Merengue soon encountered a mummy dog and an adorable little white squirrel.

?Oh, hello Lucky and Marshal,? Merengue greeted them cheerfully. ?How?s it going??

?Awful,? Lucky sighed, hanging his head low. ?All of my chocolate is missing!?

?Mine too,? Marshal added. ?It?s really quite strange. Diana and Bianca told me all of their chocolate is also missing. It?s like all of the chocolate just vanished, sulky!?

?Oh no!? Lucky suddenly exclaimed. ?Do you think there?s a chocolate eating monster on the loose? I?m scared!? He began to whimper quietly.

?Well I don?t know about that,? Marshal chuckled. ?But it does seem that something, or someone, has stolen all of our chocolate.?

?Oh dear,? Merengue murmured. ?I was hoping to get some chocolate for baking a cake.?

?Well you?re more than welcome to have all the chocolate you want if you can help us find where it all went,? Marshal replied. ?I?ve talked to almost everyone in town and nobody has a clue what?s happened.?

?Almost everyone? Who haven?t you talked to??

?Cranston and Flurry. I haven?t seen either of them today.?

?Hmm. Well it would seem that finding them is the first step.?

?I think I saw smoke coming from Cranston?s chimney this morning,? Lucky added, trying his best to be helpful. ?That must mean he?s at home, rrr-owch.?

The two locals led the way, Merengue following close behind. All of the lights were off in Cranston?s home, but there was indeed a faint wisp of smoke trailing from the chimney. As the trio neared the house, they could see several chocolate wrappers sprinkled throughout the snow.

?Looks like we found our culprit, sulky,? Marshal remarked, knocking on the door. ?Hello? Cranston, are you in there??

No reply.

?Come on Cranston,? Lucky whined. ?I want my chocolate back! I?m starving, rrr-owch!?

?What?s the password, powderpuff?? a chipper little voice demanded from inside.

?Flurry?? Lucky asked, perplexed.

?Cranston and I cannot allow you to access the secret base and chocolate reserves unless you know the password. Those are the rules!?

?Yep, those are most definitely the rules, sweatband!? a male voice confirmed. It was Cranston.

?It looks like they?re playing secret agent again,? Marshal sighed. ?I don?t know, is the password ?powderpuff???

?Nope, try again!?

?How about ?sweatband??? Lucky suggested. ?Is that it??

Cranston made a buzzer sound.

?Hmm,? Merengue hummed, thinking. ?How about ?Cranston and Flurry Rule???

Flurry could be hear murmuring to Cranston. ?That?s a good one, we need to remember that.?

?Agreed,? Cranston whispered back. Then louder, ?wrong again!?

?Oh, for the love of sulky!? Marshal yelled. ?Open the door!?

?What?s the password?? they chanted in unison.

?I?m going to go get Rolf!? Marshal threatened. ?He can rip this door right off its hinges if he has to!?

?Now Marshal,? Merengue chided him. ?Violence isn?t the answer. I?m sure we can figure out the password somehow.?

?Over here,? a motherly voice called. ?Right here. It?s me, the snowmam. I think I can help you.?

?Really?? Merengue inquired hopefully, approaching the perfectly built snowperson. ?How??

?I know the password,? she replied triumphantly. ?I just have a little favor to ask of you in exchange for such valuable information.?

?Yes, anything!?

?Oh good, I?m so glad you?re willing to assist a sweet old snowmam such as myself. You see, I collect snowflakes. If you give me the three you have, I will tell you the password.?

Merengue hesitated. She had worked hard to capture her beautiful snowflakes. They were so lovely and she had been really looking forward to getting them home. But Cadbury?s cake was more important, so she handed over her precious treasures.

?How wonderful!? the snowmam squealed in delight. ?Thank you! Thank you! Okay, are you listening? The password is ?Floppy!? I repeat, the password is ?Floppy!? Got it??

Merengue nodded, turning back to Cranston?s house and knocking on the door.

?The password is ?Floppy!?? she called out to the occupants of the house.

?Ding! That?s absolutely correct!? Cranston crowed. ?You are allowed access to the chocolate reserves!?

There was a faint click as the lock came undone and the door swung open. Merengue, Lucky, and Marshal quickly shoved inside. In the corner of the room rest a large heap of chocolate bars. Lucky howled with excitement and rushed over to the candy volcano, hugging it like a long-lost friend.

?Oh chocolate!? he wept. ?I missed you so much, rrr-owch!?

?Welcome to Flurry and Cranston?s super-secret, totally awesome base of operations, Powderpuff!?

?Flurry, the two of you need to stop doing this kind of thing!? Marshal grumbled.

?Oh Marshy Marsh,? she giggled. ?You just don?t know how to have any fun!?

As the two of them continued to debate whether or not Marshal knew how to have fun, Merengue gathered up the chocolate she needed, said her goodbyes, and hurried back to the train station. Everything had taken a lot longer than anticipated and she was running out of time. She still had to make a short stop back in Seaside to give Marina her medicine and pick up a basket of perfect cherries.

They had done it. Everything was perfect. Chadder, Zucker, Cherry, and Frita had festooned Chadder?s house with what must have been at least a metric ton of streamers and glitter. A colorful armada of bunny balloons hovered through the air and a sea of identically wrapped presents flooded the floor. In the center of it all, presented upon a silver platter atop an alpine table, sat the most gorgeous black forest cake ever created. Merengue had never been more proud of something in her life. All of their preparations complete, the five of them sat in the dark, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Cadbury and the ?pep squad.? Their excitement became nearly impossible to contain when they heard Cadbury?s voice outside.

?Why are we at Chadder?s house?? Cadbury asked. ?It doesn?t even look like he?s home.?

?Just trust us,? Sprinkle smiled as Apple opened the door. Tangy and Bonbon quickly ushered their beloved mayor inside. Sprinkled flicked on the lights.

?Surprise!? everyone shouted at once.

A banner that read ?Happy Birthday Cadbury? unfurled from the ceiling, releasing a shower of rainbow confetti.

?This is amazing!? Cadbury exclaimed. ?You guys did all of this for me? You?re the best neighbors ever!?

?It was all Merengue?s idea, bloop,? Zucker explained.

?Yeah, she wanted your special day to be extra special, what what!? Cherry added.

?You should totally blow out your candles and make a wish, cheekers!? Apple interjected. Everyone nodded in agreement.

Mayor Cadbury approached her cake and paused momentarily to contemplate what her wish should be. The familiar face of a friend long since departed hazily took shape in her mind and a flash of inspiration crossed her features.

?I want all of my wonderful friends to live here in Essen with me forever!? she asserted firmly. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and extinguished the three flickering flames that danced before her. Everybody clapped and cheered.

Chadder had just finished slicing the cake into ten perfectly sized pieces and was about to start handing out the delectable wedges when a knock came at the door, startling everyone. They glanced around the room in confusion. Everybody was already here. They had no idea who it could possibly be. Tangy slowly opened the door and peered outside.

?ReeeOWR!? she cried out in disbelief.

?Well aren?t you going to invite me in, snarrrl?? a gruff voice asked. ?Or do I have to blow your house down? Gahaha!?

?Wolfgang!? everyone exclaimed as the recent arrival sauntered in.

?The one and only!? he grinned. ?After seeing Merengue today, I realized just how much I missed living in my hometown of Essen. It?s been a really, really long time, but I?ve decided to move back here. I already spoke with Nook and I have a plot set. Of course, I won?t have an actual house until tomorrow, so I?ll have to bunk with my old buddy merengue tonight.?

Cadbury couldn?t believe her eyes. Her wish had actually come true. It was absolutely heartbreaking when her friend decided to move, but she had been unable to change his mind. She feared that she would never see him again. And yet here he was, returning to once more be a beloved resident of Essen. Cadbury wrapped her arms tightly around the blue wolf, burrowing her face in the soft fur of his shoulder, tears of joy glistening on her cheeks. Merengue had made the impossible a reality. That sweet rhino was something truly special.
 
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