Daurius opened the door immediately embraced by his mother. Tears ran down both faces. Once both had settled, Melinda brought her son a warmed blanket along with a hot cup of broth. They both took seats at the dining table, neither of them wishing to speak first. Finally it was Daurious that broke the silence with an apology. He lowered his head heavily, feeling the tear well up once more. Had he made the right decision by coming home while his two brothers were trapped in the tunnel? What if help arrived too late? What if there was something he could have done to save them? All of these feelings of guilt caused his stomach to tie into knots. He should not have been distracted by food. He should have kept watch over his brothers. He was the look out, he failed.

After the door closed, Hammond found himself looking for his wife. The shuffling, clanging, and banging from the kitchen caused him to remain standing for a few minutes. This noise was filled with anger. He still could not figure out what had upset her so much. He finally walked over to the table where he placed his pipe. He began smoking while trying to decide if he should go speak to his beautiful Janine or if he should allow her to cool off. Sometimes, it was quite difficult to tell. He held his pipe tightly in one hand while wiping sweat from his brow with the other. Sharp objects were within her reach but if he did not at least speak with his darling, there would be no end of the bickering. He took in a deep breath, walking slowly as he let his lungs empty, Hammond approached the kitchen. He watched her filling a large basket with different items. He was about to speak up but she beat him to it.

"Mayor Hammond, indeed!" Janine blew air through pursed lips to make a 'pfft' noise. "Two children are trapped within Death Ally facing who knows what sorts of danger." She faced her husband know holding two finger up in front of her face. "Two Hammond. You know how I feel about children. As mayor, have you forgotten the pledge to keep the people of our community safe? That includes those boys!" She stopped herself from slamming a teacup into the basket as to not squish some of the sweet treats she had already packed. "Poor Melinda must be beside herself with fright. Just to think that they have to wait until morning for any sort of help to arrive must be devastating." She wiped a tear from her face with her hand. "Well, I plan on helping them through this wait of yours as best as I am able." After satisfied with the contents, Janine closed the lid, then grabbed her jacket before exiting the house. There was an errand that had to be dealt with before going to Drexel's home. The place was not quite far but darkness made the walk much more dangerous. She sucked in some air as a pair of giant shoes began to draw near. Shoes that stood on some sort of spikes. Rumors spread of how the giants had called these high heels. The logic of this confused the woman. Well, no matter for now, heals high or low, it would be a way of transportation. The timing would have to be perfect. The giant's heel landed to the ground with a loud clack as Janine wrapped her arms as far as she could around the hard surface. The motion of up then back down caused butterflies in her stomach. The hardest part, though was not getting knocked off with each landing. The further they went, the harder it became to keep hold. After counting twenty crevices, the ride was over. It took several minutes to regain balance. The dizziness took half the time to clear, luckily. Once her steps felt normal, she made way to Maxwell's.

Drexel peered around before descending a steep slope toward the black path. This was quite a dangerous undertaking due to blinding lights from huge vehicles driven by giants. Being blinded was the least of concerns. It was the risk of being crushed to death that frightened him the most. It was all about knowing when to run, and when to stop. He stood there cursing himself for not returning the house for any sort of supplied he may need. Then again, being weighted down would slow his pace. He would have also risked Melinda catching him as well. A sudden blare of a horn brought Drexel back to the present as he went to his knees. Hands went to his ears tightly. Thoughts caused him to be caught off guard. Once again, he stood determined to focus only on his sons. It took a few moments to gather enough courage to begin a sprint toward the other side.

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Caurius busied himself by searching for some way out. He scratched, pushed, kicked against whatever was blocking the entrances of the tunnel. He did this until there was no more strength in his body. He slumped himself down besides his brother. Baurius fell asleep or fainted from pain. Every now and then there would be a soft groan. The feeling of hopelessness began building up. Daurius was sure to be hurt, missing or something not be thought of. By now, their parents would be home not even knowing where to start searching. He wanted to hear his father's voice so badly. Even if it was to yell at the foolishness of this whole adventure. Caurious brought his knees up to his chest, laying his head over crossed arms. Every moment that passed made it harder to keep awake. Eyes grew very heavy, then he began to dream.

Melinda watched Daurius with his head low. He had not taken a single sip of the broth. She had no idea of how long they had been sitting there in silence. This was a difficult time for being a mother. Part of her wanted to hug Daurious, part of her wanted to yell at the stupidity of the situation, part of her wanted to cry, and part of her wanted to go searching for the other two. Words from her husband rang through her mind at that moment, reminding her to be strong for the children. No matter how scared or angry she was, Daurius needed his mother. Melinda cleared her throat, "While I am very angry that my three eldest children decided to do something stu...dangerous, I am glad that you made it home safely. You told us where the boys could be found. Your father is gathering people to search for them." She noticed eyes looking upward. "You will still be punished, make no mistake about that." She sighed, "However, with the hardship you have endured, it will not be too harsh." There was a soft sigh but the guilt hung around Daurious. "No matter what happens, you have done your best to get help to your siblings. Now, we wait to see what happens."

Janine meekly stepped toward the entrance of the large cave. There was a single moment of doubt, of hesitation before she began to speak. "Mr. Maxwell? I am sorry to disturb you but we need your help. Two children are trapped in Death Alley." She stood there quietly listening to a bit of rustling that started off quietly before getting louder. She backed away from the entrance as the large paws of the mouse came into view. She shook a bit as her husband usually paid Maxwell visits. He was larger than she expected as his full size came into view. She licked her lips before opening the basket to grab a few bits of cheese, laying it on the ground. "This is all I could find. I am very sorry that it could not be more." She noticed the twitching of the creatures whiskers. Uncertainty started to set in. "I also brought this white cloth. I heard that you use it to gather everyone in an emergency." Dangling the white cloth out with a shaky hand, the mouse gently took it from her before running off. He did not even take the cheese she offered. After he was out of sight, she glanced at the crumbs, "Well, that was rude!" A blush formed on her cheeks as she hoped no one or no creature heard her. A three crevice journey lay ahead of her. She began thinking of how asking for a ride would have been a bit useful. When she returned to the drop off point it seemed no giants were in sight. So, she began walking. It seemed to take a few hours to reach the home of Drexel but she made it safely, that was all that mattered. All she could do now is try to help comfort the family. Hopefully, she would be welcomed. Lights were on within, so she did not hesitate and knocked gently on the door. Melinda opened the door just a crack before opening it wider. "Hello Miss Melinda. I came to see if there was anything I could do to help. I brought some tea and sweet treats." Melinda only nodded as she allowed the mayor's wife to enter. Janine looked around puzzled that Drexel was no where to be seen. Was he missing now, also?