Skylar's P.O.V

'Alright kids we're about to hit the dry swamp!' Hop Pop yells us. 'Here girls, you're gonna wanna hydrate' he hand Anne and I a bottle of water.

'That's ok dude. It's still a swamp, how dry could it be-'

She cut herself off as we found ourselves dying from the heat of the so called swamp.

'Gimme that water!' I yell, snatching the bottle from Sprig.

'Welcome to the swamp girls' Hop Pop chuckles at our mistake. 'Home to giant, frog eating sand worms, bandits, Vagabonds!' He lists off before pulling a scroll out of nowhere. 'You'd know of course if you'd ever read the classic play, Fear the Dry Swamp'

'Oh brother'

'Save us'

'He's gonna act'

'Oh frog'

Dramatic lighting seemed to appear as Hop Pop read out the same lines we'd heard him say a hundred times before.

'Hark. For I am homeless. I am friendless. I am the dry swamp!' He recited before the natural light returned. 'Y'know I was this close to getting the lead part once'

'Ya don't say'

'Uh huh'

'Yup! Before I was a farm frog your Hop Pop has dreams! Next life I suppose'

The ground beneath us rumbled slightly. Out of nowhere a shadow cast over all of us. We all turn to see the source and was met with the sight of a giant sand worm.

'AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!'

Anne, Sprig, Polly and I pop our heads back into the Fwagon as Hop Pop took off speeding. We came to a stop and were circled by a bunch of carts. We popped back out of the Fwagon again to see a figure with their face covered.

'Hey, thanks for your help out there'

'Don't mention it. Y'know you folks really shouldn't be out here on your own. Haven't you ever read Fear the Dry Swamp?'

'You know that play?' Hop Pop asks.

'Know it? Ha! I directed it. Renee Frodgers the name and managing this acting troop is my game' the lady says, throwing off her coat and standing in a dramatic pose.

'An acting troop? Here?' Hop Pop says in awe.

'Wow, what're the chances'

'Say, why don't you folks join our caravan? We could use the extra stage hands and you know what they say, safety in numbers' Renee suggests.

'WE'RE IN!' Hop Pop says almost too excitedly.

We hop out of the Fwagon and follow Renee into the caravan.

'Welcome to our humble operation!' She says, opening the doors to the first wagon.

We walk through the space and see frogs, newts and toads running around. Readying props, reciting lines and getting their costumes ready. We continue walking before stopping in front of a small frog boy.

'Hey, Francis! Show these youngsters to the kids wagon'

'As you wish madam. I am Francois, heir to House D'arncool' the boy said with his accent.

'He's method' Renee says, confusing us.

'Uh?'

'What?'

'Huh?'

'He's what?'

'It means he embodies a character on and off set, duh!' Hop Pop explains like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

'Ha ha! Sharp as a tack HP. Care to join me in my trailer? I'd love to pitch you our latest production' Renee suggests.

'WOULD I?!' Hop Pop responds. Giggling like a school girl, following behind her.

'Ahem. You four are free to join me if you wish. Ha ha!' Francois days before scurrying off in the other direction.

'Wow, that guy..... is the coolest kid I've ever met! Lets go with him!' Sprig Cheered.

'I'm in!' Polly agreed, jumping onto Sprig's head.

'Absolutely not' Anne said, cutting them off. 'I was in a school play once, it was awful. And this place is bringing back memories....' she said, seeming to zone out in thought.

'Anne? You there?' I ask.

'Four to five dentists agree, I was traumatised.... anyways, see you two later. We've got a complicated jigsaw puzzle with our name on it'

'Mmm ok bye' Sprig says before hopping away with Polly.

'I think I'm gonna go follow them, make sure Polly doesn't blow something up on accident' I say to Anne.

'Aww but our puzzle' she whines.

'Sorry Anne but I feel like it's not the best idea to leave those two unsupervised' I reasoned.

'Yeah true, have fun then dude'

'Mhm you too Anne' I smile as I follow behind where the Plantar siblings had gone.

I caught up with them in no time and saw they they were just standing to the side.

'These kids are so cool! If only I could be one of them' Sprig sighs.

'Eh can't be that hard' I say.

'Oh hey Sky' Polly greets. 'But she's right, here!' She says before knocking Sprig forward and into Francois.

'Hey! Watch it!'

'Heh, sorry. I'm Sprig by the way' he introduces.

Suddenly the whole crowd goes quiet and looks at Sprig in shock.

'We don't use our real names here. For we must become our characters'

'Well then.... I'm.... Spruueg Plantior.... nemesis! En Garde!' Sprig acts, pulling out a wooden sword.

Francois swipes the sword out of Sprig's hands. 'I don't believe you'

Sprig sighs I'm defeat. 'C'mon Polly, Sky, lets get outa here'

'Who's Polly governor?' Polly asks, rolling in looking like a pirate or something. 'I'm Lydia Davenport, the black widow'

'Ignore him Lydia, he clearly doesn't have enough character' Francois said, causing the rest of the kids to laugh.

'C'mon Sprig lets get outta here' I say, guiding Sprig out of the caravan.

'I'm gonna get in with this group if it's the last thing I do' Sprig declared.

'Mhm, sure, whatever you say dude'

And so cues a comedic montage of Hop Pop living out his dream of being an actor, Sprig trying to get in with the theatre kids and Anne's puzzle being constantly disrupted. I had decided to leave Sprig after his third failed attempt of winning over the group and joined Anne as she tried to complete her puzzle.

'One piece left....' Anne mutters as she carefully lowered the final piece.

'GIRLS!' Hop Pop yelled, slamming the door open. 'The play's a distraction for a bank robbery!' He slams his hands on the table, breaking apart the puzzle. 'On one hand, that's awful! But on the other hand, we need to support the arts right?'

'What? No! They're using you to commit crimes. You can't just pretend you don't know that' Anne explains, me agreeing with every word.

'Hmm, I probably could. I'm a very good actor y'know... thanks for the advise Anne!' He says, walking out of the Fwagon.

'Did he hear a word of what you said?' I ask.

'Well if he did he didn't understand it' she sighs, going back to the puzzle.

Just as she picks up the first piece Sprig slams the door open.

'GUYS! THEATRE KIDS DON'T LIKE ME!'

'Sprig! We've been over this! It doesn't matter what those theatre dorks think'

'You're right! It matters what they feel. I just have to speak to their hearts!' He slams the table, breaking the puzzle again. 'Thanks Sky bye!!!' He says before running out.

Anne turns back and starts working on her puzzle again until-

'GIRLS!' It was Polly's turn to disrupt Anne. 'I LOVE YOU!'

'LOVE YOU TOO DUDE!' Anne yells back, annoyance clear in her voice.

Anne had to restart the puzzle after that. I just watched one of the Harry Potter movies that I had saved on my laptop as Anne worked away. A good hour later she was almost finished.

'Finally!' She sighs, putting the last piece in place. But her victory was short lived when the caravan moving suddenly broke apart the puzzle again. 'AAAAAAAARRRRG' she screams in frustration.

The Fwagon continued to thrash around. Anne's puzzle was definitely destroyed now. After a few more moments the Fwagon finally came to a stop. I look over at Anne and see her beyond furious, although she looked silly with puzzle pieces stuck in her hair. She sits up, slams the door open and storms off towards Hop Pop.

'DUDE! I told you not to help them rob a bank' Anne complained.

'Hehe' Hop Pop nervously laughed. 'She's joking, ha, good one Anne'

'Hey Hop Pop!' Sprig greeted. 'We joined the theatre gang!'

'Just like you!' Polly adds on.

Hop Pop swiped all of us away and back towards the Fwagon.

'Silly kids, making jokes. Gotta go, bye!' He rushed, throwing us in the Fwagon and taking off.

We all lay on the floor after Hop Pop threw us in until Anne got up and stuck her head through the window.

'MOVIES ARE BETTER!' She yells back at the caravan.

'Couldn't agree more' I grumble, pulling out my laptop pressing play again.

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