Quest for the Antidote

Insistent tugging on her sleeve alerted Serena to the presence of new individuals.

“It’s awful!” Tamara cried, her sister, Trinity, in tears beside her. “Serena, Diego’s sick!”

The sudden proclamation left Serena momentarily stupefied. It was not how she anticipated the start of her Monday morning, let alone any morning.

Blinking, she collected herself and asked, “He’s sick? What happened to him?”

Trinity heaved a distraught sigh before enlightening Serena, “Well, he was fine at the start of the weekend. We had lots of fun—”

“We went to two different Trunk-or-Treats AND went trick-or-treating!” Tamara interrupted, lost in elation of the fun memory.

Nodding, Trinity continued, “It’s true. We got quite the haul—we ended up with mountains of candy!” She fiddled with a lock of hair, biting her lower lip as if ashamed of what transpired next. Trinity exhaled deeply before divulging, “We should have kept a closer eye on Diego… He got into the candy…”

Tamara’s shoulder’s slumped sorrowfully, mirroring her sister’s anguish, and murmured, “He ate too much of it… He diminished our stash… a lot…”

“Diego went crazy,” Trinity revealed, teary-eyed and in a voice full of regret. “It got so bad that he put himself into a candy coma… He still hasn’t woken up…”

Tamara pulled out the cage, housing Diego, to illustrate the point. Diego didn’t budge even an inch. Brow furrowing, Tamara ruefully admitted, “We probably wouldn’t want him to wake up—at least not until it’s out of his system. He screamed, like a lot. There was also some thrashing…”

Absorbing and processing the onslaught of new information left Serena stunned speechless. It had, apparently, been quite the eventful weekend. Mentally shaking herself, Serena inquired, “Have you taken him to see the vet? That doesn’t seem healthy to eat so much candy. This is quite serious.”

A serious look materialized on Tamara’s face as she declared, “Diego’s health is of the highest importance!” Trinity nodded her agreement before Tamara continued, “We can’t trust his health to just anyone! We have to find the antidote!”

Ah, Serena mused, that makes sense I suppose. This is an ill Beanie Baby, after all. Serena hid her mirth, chuckling internally. The girls would not appreciate nor see mirth in the situation. Illness was no laughing matter and could be quite grave.

Tamara marched up to the cabinets, arming herself with the cash register. Determinedly riffling through the drawers, she divvied out the cash. Nodding to herself in approval, she prepped herself for their current mission.

“This is quite the serious matter,” Trinity conceded. “We should quickly obtain the antidote for Diego. Where do you think it can be found?”

Tamara paused in her resolute proceedings, contemplating the inquiry. “Hmm…. It could be anywhere…” She crossed her arms, scrunching up her face in deliberation.

“What are you going to use your money for, Serena?” Trinity asked, looking up to the elder girl for guidance.

“Whatever you do,” Tamara interjected, “DO NOT buy candy for Diego. It’s the last thing our birdie needs. He needs an antidote!”

“Well, let’s see,” Serena deliberated, tapping her chin in thought. “Let’s go on a trip on our favorite rocket ship?” she surmised.

All movement halted. It was as if the room held its breath, fixed to the spot. The sisters stared wide-eyed at Serena. It made Serena uneasy, and she hoped she hadn’t supplied the wrong answer.

With a vivacious burst of energy, the sisters became animated once more. “Of course!” Tamara declared triumphantly. “We should have thought of that! Space holds the key and the secrets of the candy coma antidote!”

Fervently nodding her head in agreement, Trinity added, “It makes sense! Space is mysterious and bountiful! It must have what we need!”

Grabbing Serena’s hands, the two sisters drug her across the room. “Come on! There’s no time to lose! Let’s go to space!” they asserted.

They pulled Serena into a chair at a table facing the vast window, taking the spots located next to her. They placed Diego and his cage tenderly onto the table. Examining the surroundings, Trinity and Tamara checked to ensure everything was prepared for travel. With a determined deep breath, the sisters shared a look of pure resolve. They wouldn’t fail—not with Diego’s health on the line; they refused.

“Ready? Buckle your seatbelts, everyone!” Trinity announced. “It might be a bumpy ride, so be prepared!”

Securing her seatbelt, Tamara bellowed, “To space! For Diego!”

Bemused, Serena fastened her seatbelt and heeded their directions. This was bound to be an interesting trek, and Serena was curious to see it play out.

The first stop was the Earth’s closest neighbor: the moon. Securing their spacesuits, they scoured the rocky surface. Peering into craters, examining the divots, inspecting caverns—the group thoroughly investigated their surroundings in search of a cure. Disappointed, they left the moon emptyhanded.

The sisters steered the ship to nearby planets next. The group continued their meticulous search but found the same results. Trinity and Tamara became slightly frustrated, feeling thwarted in their efforts. Refusing to become disheartened, they solidified their resolve and expanded their search.

With the inner planets yielding no cures they turned their attention to the outer planets, deciding to brave the asteroid belt. It would be tricky to navigate, but the sisters were confident in their abilities. With steadfast determination Trinity and Tamara boldly piloted the ship ahead.

The trip into the asteroid belt started off smoothly, but the sisters hadn’t anticipated so many drifting space-rock debris. Consternation colored their face as they focused on navigating the ship; they couldn’t back down now—Diego needed them. Concentrating on the current task and disregarding all the “what-ifs,” they circumnavigated the perilous space landscape.

Warning alarms started blaring and flashing on all the monitors. Serena considered the warnings with a sense of concern. That was a first. Trinity and Tamara clutched the helm in tense apprehension, knuckles turning a stark white.

Flicking through the onslaught of incoming information, Serena grimaced. There was an incoming comet. Fast. It was coming in quite hot. Eyeing the coordinates, Serena bit her lip; it was going to be a tight evasion with little wiggle room. She informed Tamara and Trinity. The sisters gulped but regulated their breathing, resolving to accept nothing less than success.

With their navigation the ship narrowly avoided disastrous collision. They breathed a collective sigh of relief. Becoming stranded in the middle of space is the last thing they needed. Their quest for a cure would end in failure and disappointment, and everyone’s lives could prove forfeit.

Weaving around the floating hunks of rock, they had nearly made it out of the treacherous asteroid belt when there was a sudden flash of red. Bewildered, the group examined their surroundings. They were shocked at the sight before them, convinced the worst was behind them.

A defeating collective squawk resounded throughout the ship, leaving the group disorientated. Shaking their heads in attempt to refocus, their eyes widened in trepidation. A horde of what looked to be Scarlet Macaws surrounded the ship.

“This isn’t good! We’re being swarmed by a mass of Space Diegos!” Trinity shouted, uneasily scanning their surroundings in hope of spying a means of escape.

Tamara huffed in annoyance and disbelief. “How do they even breathe out there!? That’s cheating!”

“I guess they developed to live in space,” Serena surmised. “They might look like Diego, but they have to be a different species or offshoot of the Scarlet Macaw on Earth.”

“Well, that’s just great!” Tamara grumbled. “What are we going to do to escape? Diego still needs that antidote! We won’t get it by sitting here!”

Trinity nervously nibbled her lip. “We can’t just ram through them, either,” she pointed out. “We can’t just kill them to save Diego. It isn’t right.”

The group considered their options. With growing hostility amongst the flock, they decided prompt action would be in their best interest. Trinity found a button that seemed promising. Uttering a silent prayer, she pressed the button with gusto; a bright light flared around the ship, stunning the space birds. Refusing to pass up their chance, the sisters steered the ship out of the perilous asteroid belt.

In their hasty escape the group stumbled upon an odd site. They were unsure if this location was a planet or moon or what—it didn’t resemble any they had heard off. Lush vegetation sprawled across the landscape. Choosing not to look a gift horse in the mouth, they journeyed out in their spacesuits to search for a cure.

A lavish waterfall lay atop a mighty mountain. They climbed the sprawling hills leading to the mountain, astounded by the sight before them. The water almost seemed to glow. The crystalline waters seemed to conceal a hidden enclosure. Wading through the waters, they entered the small space. Various crystals glowed upon the wall surfaces. In the middle of rocky expanse seemed to be a plinth, housing a mysterious vessel.

The sisters gasped, excitement racing through their veins. Reining in their eager anticipation, they approached the stone centerpiece. The group carefully proceeded, being mindful of any potential traps or hazards. Holding their breath, the sisters took the final steps and reached their destination.

They found it—they found the key! Trinity grasped the vessel carefully and reverently. It had been quite the trip, full of danger and adventure, but they finally discovered the cure to heal Diego! Warm eyes admired the cool container of liquid. It was worth it indubitably.

Trinity and Tamara opened the cage, cradling Diego with gentle hands. Smoothing his ruffled, red feathers, they tilted his head back and watched the clear liquid cascade down his throat. They watched with bated breath, praying for a swift recovery.

Slowly, Diego opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. Beholding the loving gazes of Trinity and Tamara before him, he let out a happy squawk. The sisters released a massive sigh of relief. Diego was cured. All was well again. They’d do it all over again—journey farther even into the depths of the universe—if it ensured Diego’s wellbeing. No task was too great to undertake for a loved one.