Giant Boyfriend: Horvath (special preview)

“Is that-” my eyes dart back and forth. “Is that all?”

Frankfurt’s eyes bug at me. “You know what a thunderegg looks like, right? Dig until you see one.”

I scowl and shake my head. “That’s not enough instructions, Frankie!”

Benji lets out an exasperated scoff. “I can help her.”

“Nah, nah,” Frankfurt shakes his hand. “Princess is going to do this on her own. She’s going to lead an opal mining town, she’s going to know what it’s like.” He points to the X. “Now dig.”

“I’ll dig you,” I grouse. I raise the pickaxe above my head when Benji whistles loudly at me, startling me and nearly making me drop the tool on my head. “What?” I hiss at him.

Benji waves both his hands at me. “Put on the work gloves Mum gave you. Those fancy ones won’t do you any good.”

“But those other ones are so bulky!” I reach into my pocket to produce the work gloves. 

“You’ll thank them for that later.” Benji returns to his work while I slide the gloves on.

I go back to digging, mimicking what I am seeing my brothers do. I’ll dig for a while then dust things away and feeling around in the dirt. Occasionally, I’ll look up, feeling as if someone is watching me, but all I see are the trees. I grimace, looking back down at the ground and working in hopes of ignoring them. 

“Remember, you’re not allowed to go back to working with Pa until you find an opal.” Frankfurt taunts me with a smug grin on his face.

I grunt and grumble under my breath as I suppress my urge to cuss him out. My arms ache and my hands sting horribly. When I take off the gloves, I see my pretty hands are red and chapped, even with the thick gloves, I am starting to form blisters and sore spots. 

I go home that evening empty handed, well, save for a handful of blisters. This means I will have to head back out with my brothers in the morning, and keep working until I bring home a thunderegg to my parents. 

For two more days, I toil in that trench while the Colossal Hare Wood looms over top of me, breathing down my neck and judging me for my failures. On the third day, I can no longer take it. I cannot stand the trees, the pain in my hands, the tight wrapping around my fingers to protect them from the pain. Most of all, I cannot take the way it feels like the forest is breathing. I can hear it too. I can hear the long, soft breaths as it breathes in, exhaling the thick clouds of mist that sinks into the trench and hazes my view. 

I toss my pickaxe aside and take Benji’s head lantern from his bag. I then stomp over towards the tunnel and I launch myself inside, crawling in so only my legs are hanging out.

“The fuck are you doing?” I feel someone pull at my ankles but I grab hold of the walls inside so they cannot budge me.

I snarl and dirt falls on top of me. “I’m going to find a thunderegg!”

“Not in there you aren’t! This is crazy!” Frankfurt snaps at me.

“Let me go!” I kick him, knocking him back and I am able to worm my way inside the tunnel. I crawl through, agitated enough to not realize how stupid I am being. 

“Opal, get back out here this instant!” Frankfurt screams into the tunnel. He tries to reach inside, but I am just out of reach.

“I’m finding another thunderegg in here! I am not coming back here tomorrow!” I look deep into the tunnel as the light of the lantern burrows ahead of me. I continue to crawl, dragging myself on my stomach while keeping my head low.

“This isn’t worth it! Princess!” Soloman yells behind me.

“No way! You say you guys can’t get in here to hunt, well I-” The ground opens up beneath me, swallowing me whole. I scream like I have never screamed before. I fall and fall and fall. The wind rushes around me and I grab at it, hoping it has somehow turned solid around me. But there is nothing to grab hold to so all I can do is fall.