Amazon? Moi?

[Leyla]

Hoooo- ray for Hollywood! And all puns everywhere!

Ah, this is a very exciting chapter in a very fun story. Well, okay... sad and brutish, but in general, I'm okay with that. We get to see strength of all kinds, and I like strength. Piggy's strength in surviving, in relentlessly fighting fear and exhaustion until she gets to the tops of the trees... or walks out into moonlight. The Muppets strength in going on with life... that takes an awful lot of courage sometimes... and they're very boldly showing they haven't forgotten, will never forget their true friend. Then, of course, there's Kermit, ah Kermit... the strength of going on, but not letting go.

We shouldn't always accept what seems to be inevitable anyway... even if the whole world disagrees with you... and that takes an enormous amount of strength and courage.

I credit love as the source of that strength in this story. It's very much about love. Piggy loves Kermit and her family, and that won't let her just lie down and give over. Kermit's heart won't let him really give her up for dead.

I like love.

And I love this story. Well done, beloved mentor!

 

[The Count]

Shaken? Not stirred? But that is no problem. *Shake shake shake, shake shake... *Shakes out of control, smashing the glass of milk with ice cream on the floor.

*Bandstand leader calls for the next act, and someone to clean up the mess Lisa made by leaving the story where she did.

Put a pig in it, yes that's right.
Put a wig in it, no not tonight.
Put a fig in it, that's out of sight.

Put a jungle cat in it, what a fright.
Put a mat in it, welcome sight.
Why not try a hat? Everything will be all right!

Now post or we'll be forced to erm, shamelessly plug other Muppet songs as penguins rain down from the skies!
*Excitable Gonzo laugh/yell.

 

[Muppetfan44]

We shouldn't always accept what seems to be inevitable anyway... even if the whole world disagrees with you... and that takes an enormous amount of strength and courage.

I credit love as the source of that strength in this story. It's very much about love. Piggy loves Kermit and her family, and that won't let her just lie down and give over. Kermit's heart won't let him really give her up for dead.

I like love.

Very well said! I couldn't agree more! It's very difficult for Kermit to outwardly show love for Piggy, but when he gets the courage to do so, he does it tenfold! Sometimes you just have that gut feeling that no one agrees with, but it's a gut feeling so it will never go away. You always have to believe that gut feeling, because more times than not, it will not fail you.

When it looked like Piggy was finally out of the jungle, I was on the edge of my office chair, ready to celebrate. But the she passed out, she just passes out right as she's about to be free. It scared me half to death and I let out a huge gasp.

Please post more soon before all of your devoted readers pass out over the suspense!

 

[Beauregard]

I know one thing for certain.

I am never going into a rain forest.

Ever.

That's all.

Beau

 

[Muppetfan44]

Update please

Please post an update soon! It is absolute torture leaving me hanging like this! You can't just have Piggy pass out! oh poor Piggy


Please post soon. The suspense is mind-boggling (because of your good writing of course) but still devastatingly mind-boggling!

 

[AnimatedC9000]

NNNNoooooooooooooo!

You can't just end it like that! What happens next! ? Does she survive! ? I WANNA KNOW! ! !

... Pleeeeeeeaaaase?

 

[theprawncracker]

Jou owe me one, hokay...

She was tired.

I know de feeling...

Every sight, every sound, had the potential to be a threat. Even when she slept, so carefully balanced, curled up in that usual ball, she was actively seeking out the danger. No wonder she was tired; sleep wasn't all too restful.

I don't know if jou intended this, Lisa, but d'at little ball reminds me of Kermit finding d'at same little ball (more or less) in one of Lloyd Galt's cells in "Destination: Home," hokay.

Oscars. The Academy Awards.

Oscars? De grouches? No... d'at's just silly, hokay. But still! How very exciting! Actually, I t'ink my first reaction was... No Piggy.

Kermit led them out of the limousine and was fairly aware that they were getting a much similar reaction to the one they had received the last time they had stepped out onto a red carpet.

This time, they were all dressed the same. Black shoes. Black pants. Black jacket. Black shirt. Miss Piggy pink bow tie.

MISS PIGGY PINK! They should make a wall color out of d'at, hokay.

At some point that evening, a montage was shown of the show-business people who had passed away in the past year...

The Muppets made sure not to be in the room at that point. They knew their limits, or, more specifically, they knew Kermit's limits.

*screams* *moans* *cries* *runs off into corner* *bangs head* *cries*

As they waited out in the hallway, Scooter put a hand on Kermit's shoulder. "...Y'know something, Boss?" he whispered.

"...What's that, Scooter?" Kermit whispered.

"...I think she misses us, too," Scooter whispered.

Kermit bit his lip and pulled the go-fer into a tight, tight hug. "...I wouldn't doubt it, kid," he whispered. "I wouldn't doubt it..."

OH MY FREAKING GOSH! SCOOTER! KERMIT! I LOVE SO MUCH THAT JOU ARE SO IN-TUNE WITH SCOOTER'S FRIENDSHIP WITH DE PIG, HOKAY! ES SO TRUE! SOOOOO TRUUUUUUE! *HUGS THEM BOOOOOTH!*

The next day, when the celebrity news shows reported on the awards, and discussed the events, and what everyone had worn, the Muppets were named the best dressed.

Heck. Yeah.

So tired.

So very, very tired.

So very, very scared, and alone.

UGH! *HUGS HER!* *WANTS TO KEEP HER SAFE*

The two sticks came from a holly tree. Wood, of the holly variety. Hollywood. She smiled wryly.

OH... FIDDLESTICKS! *runs off*

As time went on, the well-worn, long-memorized book was also abandoned in favor of carrying wood to keep it dry. With fire, she had her own light, and could start the day earlier and end the day later than she could have otherwise. When she chose to stop, she built a small fire to keep burning while she slept, warding off danger and keeping at least some coals for her to start her flame from in the morning.

I really, really liked this paragraph. I'm not sure why. Also, I've stopped talking like Pepe.

Look. Listen. Feel. Listen. Smell. Listen. Don't eat that; it's poisonous. Eat this. Water leaves. A holly berry. Mildly toxic. Just get the wood. Eat. Sleep. Worry. Listen. Look. Listen.

Ya know, if she ever gets out of this horrible mess... she's gonna be even more of a force to reckoned with than before.

Eleven long months. The school year was near its end. They had filmed and wrapped the movie, and it had come and gone in the theaters. Christmas had passed, and New Year's, and Valentine's Day, and her birthday, and his birthday... all without her...

I HATE THIS! ! ! ! ...No, not the story, the story is absolutely incredible. I hate that Kermit is so... AUGH! *HUGS HIM!*

...She really wasn't going to come home, was she? ...Why couldn't he accept it? ...Everyone else had, it seemed... Why couldn't he?

BECAUSE KERMIT! BECAUSE YOUR HEART WON'T LET YOU! YOUR HEART KNOWS SHE'S STILL OUT THERE! LISTEN TO YOUR HEART, FROG! YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE THAT BEFORE! GET BACK OUT THERE IN THAT JUNGLE AND FIND HER! ! ! !

Just before he drifted off to sleep, his hand slipped beneath his pillow and settled there, fingers lightly wrapped around a pair of suede gloves.

...That is the most moving... heart-wrencing scene... I have seen in a very, very long time. *GLOMP*

Tired.

So tired.

So thirsty.

She hadn't seen any of the water leaves in a long time.

D'is cannot be good, hokay... Ooh, de voice came back!

...There! ...There? ...She couldn't be sure at first, with only the light of her flame, but... The endless trees, endless shrubs, endless leaves, endless forest of doom, seemed to... end.

*GASP* And she'll walk out and she'll find out she was on "Survivor: No Cameras" all this time, and everything will be fine and she'll be wisked away to a luxury spa and glove factory where she'll be presented with an honorary Oscar for being the most beautiful, strong woman in the world and then she and Kermit will settle down and have bouncing baby figs who'll all break into show business and be able to support their parents in their old age, right? ...Right?

She couldn't see her way, couldn't see the danger, couldn't see enough to take one single step.

And so she stood there.

Standing there's probably more dangerous...

Moonlight.

The rain clouds were above, not ahead.

With the light of the moon, she carefully picked her way out of the rainforest and into the open.

She wondered what dangers awaited her here.

And then she passed out.

MOONLIGHT! ! !

...FAR-fig-NEWTON! She passed OUT? ! ? ! GET UP PIGGY! ! ! ! GET UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP! ! ! !

MORE PLEASE! ! ! ! !

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter Eleven

She woke up on some strange contraption known to some as a bed.

"Are you okay?" a young voice asked, carefully enunciating each word, trying to conquer his own accent.

She blinked and persuaded her eyes to focus. A young boy was looking over her, his face bright and eager and helpful. ...Words... He was speaking... She could understand that... She could talk, too...

"You speak Een-glish. Yes?" The boy looked hopeful.

Yes, but she hadn't spoken in a long time. She'd been far too busy listening. "...Wa-- ...water?" she croaked. Talking hurt.

The boy's face lit up. "Water!" He vanished, and reappeared with a bowl in his hand. "Here is water," he said. He helped her sit up-- much to her chagrin, though she didn't bother show it-- and poured some water into her lips.

Water. Sweet, sweet water...

He gave her little sips at a time until the bowl was empty, and then he set it aside. "Are you okay?" he asked again.

She nodded and sat up a little more. Oh... So that was why the boy had helped her. She was weaker than she'd thought.

But this wasn't home. This wasn't her destination.

She would not stay here long.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

Kermit sighed a heavy sigh and stretched out on his log. Home sweet swamp.

He wondered what, exactly, had made him think that being away from the Muppet Boarding House would make tomorrow any easier.

Tomorrow, it would be exactly one year since he had seen her.

...Why hadn't he brought the gloves? Why had he left them under his pillow?

He missed those gloves.

...No. He didn't miss the gloves. He missed her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

The next morning, a little red plane landed at Los Angeles International Airport. It belonged to someone who knew someone who knew someone whose son had found Miss Piggy. The owner knew how to avoid customs on the way out of his country, which was a good thing, since it probably wasn't the same country she had started in, and her passport was stamped with a different country.

He had charged her, of course. In fact, he had taken every dollar she had, which... perhaps wasn't as much as he thought it was, but it was certainly a considerable amount.

He'd had the consideration to offer her another form of payment, which did not require any money. She had turned it down for several reasons. One, morals. Two, physical strength. Three, she just wasn't interested.

Before she had left, the family that had found her had made a pair of sandals for her. No more bare feet. That was nice.

But she was on her own to get through customs to get into the United States of America.

The old man in the uniform looked at her passport.

He looked at her.

He looked at her passport.

He looked at her skin, tainted darker with all the dirt, and at her clothes, so baggy and filthy now, and at her hair, so matted and dirty and tied away, and at the way her bones seemed to stick out, with so very little between them and her skin...

She looked at her passport picture, and then looked up at him and smiled the way she had smiled for that picture.

He looked at her. He looked at her passport.

He picked up a stamp and stamped a page of the passport. He handed it back to her, and he put his hand on her shoulder. "Get yourself to a hospital," he whispered.

She stared up at him for a moment with pure gratitude in her eyes, nodded quickly twice, and hurried on. Talking was still uncomfortable, and besides, she couldn't think of much to say to that.

Not that she had any intention of going to a hospital, as he had recommended. She could barely even comprehend what a hospital was.

Instead, she started walking.

It was remarkable. She was walking on the ground, and yet, there was sunlight. Bright, blinding sunlight. Flat, even, clear ground.

Still, she glanced around, eyes and ears at all times alert for any and all danger. Cars were very dangerous to pedestrians.

She also found that she was constantly reminding herself that plants around here were not to be eaten. They likely had pesticides and fertilizer sprayed on them, both of which were toxic to non-plants.

Plants were also not to be used for depositing waste.

Her eyes and ears remained alert, alert, alert. Danger? Safety? Friend or foe?

Street signs. She knew where she was going. How odd.

Street. Street. Street. Street. That one.

House. House. House. House. House. House. Lots of houses.

...There. That one.

She stared at it.

She was tired. And weak. And probably in no shape to still be standing. But she wasn't there yet. Almost. Almost.

She walked up to the porch. Steps. Now that was odd. She slowly walked up the steps. She crossed the porch. She opened the door. She stepped inside. She closed the door.

...Okay. She was here.

She sat down, curled up into her usual ball, and instantly fell asleep.

 

[theprawncracker]

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL! ! ! ! ! !

BUT SHE'S HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME! ! ! ! !

HOW CAN YOU--WHY WOULD YOU--PACH! ! !

MORE PLEASE! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

(Something in this post can't be in all-caps... )

 

[AnimatedC9000]

She finally made it back. Hooray... *falls asleep*

*wakes self up* ... wow, talk about experiencing the story for yourself.

This story only further confirms that I am not about to set off on some expedition to the depths of some jungle. End of story.

~ AnimatedC