Toadette's Story: Book 2

Chapter 112 - Syrupy Situation

Jones lurked beneath the waves off the northwestern coast of the island. In the distance, the Sweet Stuff drifted, its violet-and-white flags fluttering in the breeze. On the deck, Syrup’s crew of rodents and robots scurried about. Jones narrowed his eyes. These fools weren’t his concern. He needed to find a weak spot Syrup hadn’t thought to guard.

Then he found it: the helm. If he could cripple the wheel, Syrup’s pride and joy would be nothing more than a toy boat.

“You two,” he rasped to his lackeys. “Take the long path around. Hit their stern first. Make them think the ocean herself has turned against them. Go!”

“Aye!” The sharks slipped into the waves. Jones floated still, patiently counting the seconds. Soon alarm bells rang from the ship’s rear.

“Perfect.” With a powerful kick, Jones surged forward. He burst out of the water and drove his hook into the ship’s hull. Wood splintered beneath his grip. Clenching his trident between his teeth, he scaled the vessel and swung over the railing. He finally hit the deck with a heavy thud.

Two robot guards staggered back in shock. Before they could act, Jones whipped his trident’s butt into one, then twisted the weapon, its prongs flashing as he hurled the second robot overboard.

Then a Gaugau charged at him. As he parried its dagger, he could feel something odd. The deck beneath him began to feel slippery. Oil, leaking from slits in the masts. At the same time, a heavy net dropped from the rigging above. He jumped out the way, only to slip on the oil.

Struggling, he cursed under his breath. Syrup had already anticipated his plan!

More Gaugau swarmed him. He roared and unleashed a blast from his trident, faintly searing a section of the deck and two of the pirates.

Then he heard a high-pitched shriek.

“Miss Toadette!”

He turned just in time to see Penelope and Jasmin being carried along the shores by the rats. A shout of fury erupted from him as they ascended the ship. He’d been completely outsmarted.

“You wretch!” he bellowed, aiming desperately at the ship’s wheel. “Mega Drain!”

A bright maelstrom of energy left his trident. Swirling frames danced a straight path to the wheel. However, the horde of Gaugau took the brunt of the attack, the frontmost of them burnt to a sizzling crisp. Winded, Jones unwittingly turned himself into an open target. The remaining members of the horde rammed him into the water with enough force to send him plunging metres.

Grunting, Jones rocketed upwards before making a dash to the ship’s extended plank. If only he could climb it…

BOOM!

A cannonball obliterated the rock in front of him, the blast hurling him down the shore. His roar echoed over the explosion as he dragged himself upright.

Yet it was too late. The Sweet Stuff had cut free, its distance growing as Syrup’s mocking laughter could be heard across the water. Penelope’s cries dwindled into the horizon.

“Cursed Syrup…”

Then something caught his eye. That smaller vessel—the one he and the Toads had spotted earlier—emerged and followed the Sweet Stuff.

“So you did have an extra hand,” he grumbled, shaking sand from his coat. “Too bad for you, witch. You’re not the only one with friends in low places.”

***

Toadette limped out of the Gemini Jungle, the soles of her feet absolutely battered. The immediate threat had passed, but the village was a wreck. While Toad helped a shark pirate splint another’s fin, a weary Toadette leaned against the frame of a damaged fruit stall. Her side wound still throbbed.

“Hey,” she called out weakly to the Spear Guy villager who sadly tried to pick up his scattered items. “Can I get one of those mangos?”

The villager let out a sigh. “Of course, miss. That’ll be twenty coins.”

“Twenty coins?” Minh asked, disbelief in her voice. “And I thought Toad Town’s prices had skyrocketed.”

“With the mainland trade routes in chaos since that big attack, getting supplies to the outer islands has become difficult,” the villager explained. “We’re just trying to survive.”

“I see.” Toadette paid the man without another word.

It was in that moment that the sound of a distant BOOM echoed across the water, and all heads turned towards the shore.

Toad clutched his chest. “They haven’t beaten us yet!”

He and Toadette sprinted towards the noise, with Minh stumbling behind them. She crossed her fingers that she’d be able to find Jasmin safe and sound. Perhaps the booming was Jones taking Syrup’s crew out.

But when they got to the shore, nobody was there. Nobody other than a few sulking pirates and the captain himself.

When Toadette saw Jones standing with his trident in hand, her face twisted up.

“You!” she yelled, her voice cracking. “You were supposed to be the expert captain! Where the hell were you? Huh?”

“Syrup is a coward; she doesn’t fancy facing her enemies head-on.” He finally turned. “While we fought her brutes, she captured your girls. She played us all.”

The words hit Minh like a gut punch. Her legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed onto the sand, barely caught by Toad.

“What’s Syrup gonna do with them?” she asked.

“I don’t care about your excuses,” Toadette growled. “Are we going after them or not, Jones? You want this sea free of the Ethereal Star, don’t you?”

“The star?” He slammed the butt of his trident into the wet sand. “You think this is only about some star for me? That wretch has something of mine. Something she pried from my very neck.”

His hand went to his own throat.

“My amulet,” he snarled. “Been in my family line for generations. Her presence in these waters is an insult to my family’s name. So yes, fungus, I want her gone.”

A soft footstep on the sand made them all turn. It was Almara, her masked face etched with sorrow. Carrying their shoes, she walked past the others and placed a hand on Minh’s trembling shoulder.

“I understand what you’re going through,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

“The trail is fresh,” Jones interrupted, turning his back to them. “We leave now.”

As the group prepared to follow, Almara’s eyes fell upon Toadette’s clenched fist. A small, twin-stemmed cherry glowed faintly between her fingers. Almara’s breathing stopped.

“Child, that cherry in your hand…”

“Yes?”

“It’s a powerful fruit of this island,” she warned. “Eating it could grant you enough power to fight Syrup. But your soul will be split, and if you can’t survive the fight with Syrup in this form, your end will come quicker. Don’t be careless with it, I beg you.”

“I don’t think…” Toadette shrugged, pocketing it. “Thank you.”

But a simple “thank you” felt insufficient. Toadette looked at Minh, who nodded in return. Together they knelt before Almara.

Toad watched in shock as Toadette and Minh, working in unison, gently took hold of Almara’s right foot. They lifted her leg back so that her callused, dusty sole faced them. Toadette went first, leaning forward to plant a kiss onto the centre of the sole. Minh followed, her own kiss softer and placed along the cracked heel. They waited a moment before pressing one final, shared kiss to the ball of her foot.

Toad’s first instinct was to recoil. He was ready to leave.

But with a deep breath, he knelt as well. Instead of kissing the sole of her foot, he pressed a brief kiss to the top of it, near the ankle.

Almara put her hands together. “Believe it or not, your act of kindness is not one among our greetings here.”

“It makes us feel good all the same,” Minh said. “Everyone’s got quirky ways of showing respect.”

“Spend enough time with these two, and you have to get used to their quirkiness,” Toad scoffed. He gave a wave to Almara as he spun around, the faintest of smiles on his face. “By the time we’re back, you’ll never have to worry about Syrup again, ma’am. You have my promise.”

***

The only sound Penelope made as she pushed against the chains for the fiftieth time was the screeching of metal. Her wrists were raw. The iron dug into her already sweaty and tear-soaked skin. Finally she ran out of strength and sulked against the wall of the brig, sniffling.

“This is worse than getting stuck in that pipe,” she whimpered.

Jasmin hadn’t moved a muscle. “And if you broke them?” she asked, pointing to the chains. “Where would we go? Take a swim in the middle of nowhere?”

“Mother’s boats always have emergency rafts.”

“Well this ain’t your mom’s boat; it’s a pirate ship. Only thing they have for emergencies is a plank.”

Penelope’s loud cry suddenly stopped when the hatch above them opened, letting light into their small prison. The silhouette of a Gaugau filled the space.

“State your ages,” it grunted. “Now!”

Penelope sniffled, confused. A sharp pinch on her arm from Jasmin made her yelp. “Ten!”

“Eleven,” Jasmin sighed.

The Gaugau dropped down, beginning to undo their chains. “Follow. No trouble, you hear?”

They were herded up through a large door into a much larger room. The sudden attack on their nostrils made them both recoil. The air was heavy with the smell of sweat, dampness and resignation. Filling it further were the whispers of many children. They were everywhere: hunched in corners, lying on heaps of rags or staring blankly at the ceiling.

“New recruits for the Black Sugar Gang!” the Gaugau announced to the room. “Show ‘em the ropes.” The door slammed shut.

The murmuring died. Dozens of eyes turned to them for a moment before dismissing them.

Penelope looked around. A Koopa girl nearby stitched a tear in her boots, not even looking up. Two boys in a corner were scribbling on the walls with chalk. As she attempted to move forward, she paused when noticing what they were drawing: nothing but repetitive, unsettling marks.

“How many people are there on board?” she whispered to Jasmin, shaking. “Hundreds?”

“More,” a voice said, calm and collected.

A boy with a Spear Guy mask stepped out from the shadows. He was thin and only wearing a pair of ripped pants. His body caused Penelope to raise a brow. Similarly to Almara, it was so humanoid for somebody who should’ve been a Shy Guy at the core. The boy glanced at her and Jasmin.

“Another fresh catch,” he murmured. “Picked you up from Twinsy Tropics. Ah…”

Penelope blinked. “How did you—?”

“I can listen,” he interrupted. “What you learn to do when you can’t talk your way out. Terro."

Jasmin stepped forward, shielding Penelope. “We’re leaving on the very next stop, so no need for introductions.”

Terro chuckled, gesturing towards a Noki girl. “Narisa. Show her what happens to those who think they can run?”

Narisa looked over and lifted her shirt. A long scar ran diagonally across her abdomen, carved in the shape of a candy cane. “Lesson learnt,” she said, her voice monotone.

Jasmin flinched, while Penelope felt the colour drain from her face.

“So you’ve been here for years,” Jasmin whispered, horrified.

“She has. I’m just wrapping up my first,” Terro said nonchalantly. “Here’s the deal: you’re Syrup’s property now. Swab decks, polish treasure, please the captain—that kind of stuff. Dead weight gets tossed overboard; might as well forget about your friends and family.”

“But my mother…” Penelope’s voice cracked. “Miss Toadette! I don’t wanna leave them!”

Terro scoffed. “You’d better stop crying. Won’t get enough water to replace those tears.”

Jasmin watched the other kids. Everybody seemed too calm for such terrible conditions. Some of them were so calm that she could even spot them touching themselves, not concerned about doing it in private. In fact, some looked at her as if she were the strange one for not joining in. She felt a chill as two sets of hands touched her backside.

“¡Quiten sus manos de mí!” she screamed, her native Spanish startling the boys, who scurried back. She grabbed Penelope’s arm. “P, tap into that Toadette plan-making magic right now, ‘cause I ain’t gonna survive a full day in here.”

“Easier said than done,” Penelope said.

“So you’re virgins, right?” Terro asked.

“Versions?” Penelope cocked her head. “We don’t get updates.”

“Excuse me?” Jasmin’s fists tightened. She bared her teeth. “I will break your neck if you try anything pervy on me, got it?”

“Okay. One’s oblivious, and the other knows what I mean.” Terro pushed Penelope aside and focused on Jasmin. “Syrup’s never fished a little Toad girl from the sea before. She’ll be very curious about you.”

Jasmin’s expression of anger slowly warped into confusion. Then her eyes widened. “No…”

“That’s it; we all make that face the first time.” He softly chuckled at her and Penelope. “Just think happy thoughts when it happens, ‘kay?”

Jasmin clutched her heart. Minh-Minh, please save us…

***

Minh stood rigid. The Poseidon Fin rumbled beneath her, yet she hardly budged. Jasmin remained missing, and not a single boat had crossed their path yet. The sky turned orange at the horizon, but with every minute that passed, Minh’s hopes faded even further. Locating two girls in a sunken ship was child’s play compared to this gauntlet of a task. And what would their condition be if they were found at all?

“Drink something.” Toadette shoved a basic bottle of water into Minh’s hand. “You’re sweating like crazy.”

“It’s either sweat or tears, Toadette. I’m trying to stick with sweat.”

“Just gotta keep calm. Otherwise we’ll never think straight.”

“You were right.” A lump thickened in Minh’s throat. “I should’ve never brought Jazz along on this trip. What was I thinking?”

“I told you.”

Minh groaned. Toadette’s voice then softened.

“Look, you wanted her to have a proper best friend. Obviously you didn’t ask for this.”

“Ain’t the first time I’ve dragged her into danger.” Minh finally sipped the water. “Ever tell you about the time she crawled nine stories high in a toy store? Under my watch. She was around three. My uncle and auntie are freaking out, I’m going up to get Jazz before she falls off this platform, and suddenly we’re both falling.”

“You survived that, how?” Toadette asked.

“Sofi. Her catching us is the only reason we didn’t splat. I’m a horrible cousin.”

“Wah, wah, wah. That’s all I hear right now.” The girls saw Toad approaching. “So you screwed up. Welcome to the club. But you’re still here, and so are we. We can fix this problem, but not if you shut down.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Minh countered. “In case you haven’t noticed, I can’t do crap compared to you guys. I’m weak, I’m slower, I’m… I’m just dead weight!”

Toadette shushed her. “You’re soft, literally and figuratively. When we rescue the girls—and we will—they’re gonna need someone to comfort them. Toady’s a brick wall, and I’m not exactly a creamy marshmallow when I’m angry, am I?”

Minh’s ragged breathing began to slow.

“Hey.” Toad tossed her a pack of crackers. “Even if you don’t fight, I’m glad to have another brain here.” He pointed at Toadette. “Because we all know her mind loves to stop functioning right.”

“Oh, fuck you!” Toadette screamed.

“Good for an out-of-the-blue plan, sure, but for anything that needs time to plan? Toadette makes you look like E. Gadd, Minh.” Toad grinned as Toadette lunged at him.

Minh strode past them, her gaze fixed on the upper deck where Captain Jones stood. She approached him.

“What exactly is Syrup going to do with the girls, captain?”

Jones sighed, his focus on the path ahead. “A dark question, lass. Some treasures are better left at the bottom of the ocean.”

“Try me.” Minh’s pitch dropped. “I wanna know exactly what she’s doing so that I can plan just how hard I’m gonna bash her face in when I see her.”

“As long as they remain sensible, shall we say, they’ll likely remain afloat. Between the human and the Toad, I haven’t an idea who’s likelier to be punished.”

“Punished with what?” Toadette demanded, joining Minh’s side. “Spit it out.”

“You’ve got all the answers,” Toad added.

Jones turned. “There are pirates who hunt for gold, and there are monsters who hunt for other things. Syrup’s tastes run younger, if you catch what I mean.”

Toadette’s and Minh’s jaws dropped. A wave of nausea hit Toadette—a mix of dread and fear of Peach’s wrath if Penelope wasn’t saved from that.

Toad’s face remained neutral, but he leaned in closer. “You knew this whole time we were bringing these girls into that kind of risk, and you didn’t say a damn thing.”

“Now, now, mateys.” Jones gestured forward with his hook hand. “Your quest for your friends is noble, and I shall maintain my word in helping you complete it. But my own treasure takes precedence. Does it not?”

“Asshole,” Toadette spat.

“Really,” Minh muttered. “They’re kids…”

The afternoon bled into a full-blown sunset. Toadette wanted to search for the girls, but the cold truth set in: the ocean was vast, and their chances were slim. If she was going to ever find them, she needed to rest. She slept on a cot below deck, with Minh soon joining her.

Minh kissed Toadette gently on the cheek. “Don’t worry now. I can’t afford to be dead weight, and I won’t be.”

***

Time didn’t feel right in this part of the Sweet Stuff. There were no windows, no stars to see. The only way to tell the hours passing was by the hum of a buzzing lamp that never turned off.

Jasmin hugged her knees on the pitiful excuse for a bed, then flinched as something with too many legs skittered between her toes. She shuddered, pinched it and flicked it into the shadows.

“I think I’m melting,” Penelope groaned, fanning her face.

“Patience,” came a lazy snicker from the corner. Terro took on the heat like it was nothing. “Wait until midnight. That’s when the chill moves in.” He lifted a thin blanket. “Though these things can’t hold heat to save their lives.”

“I can handle the cold,” Jasmin muttered quickly. She regretted it when she glanced at Penelope, who would certainly struggle in such a climate.

Before either could say more, three sharp knocks rattled the door.

“Dinnertime, maggots,” a voice growled.

The door creaked open. A squat Gaugau pushed trays across the floor, then clanged it shut again with a snap. Jasmin braced herself for some grey mush or stale bread. But Penelope gasped first, her eyes wide.

On the trays were gingerbread cakes with icing swirls, bowls of chocolate pudding buried under sprinkles, scoops of melting ice cream and slices of pie. And that didn’t cover half of it.

“Come on, Jazz,” Penelope whispered, already reaching.

“Wait.” Jasmin’s eyes narrowed. “This makes no sense. Who serves dessert for dinner?”

“Who cares?” Penelope already had a handful of pudding scooped into her mouth. “It’s food. Are you seriously complaining about free sweets?”

“I’m saying it’s suspicious.” But Jasmin’s stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. Suspicious or not, she needed the energy. With a shameful sigh, she grabbed a slice of blueberry pie and devoured it in four greedy gulps. Penelope was already lost in her own world, shovelling pudding into her mouth with one hand and slurping a milkshake with the other.

Half an hour later, Jasmin leaned back, clutching her stomach in defeat.

Penelope yawned, licking chocolate off her fingers. “So… Where’s the shower?”

The room went silent. Some kids snickered; others stared. Terro only shook his head.

“You don’t just go to the shower,” he said, pointing to a small tube system built into the wall. “Write a request, shoot it up the pipe. Then if they feel like it, they’ll come grab you.”

Before Jasmin could protest, Penelope was already scribbling on a piece of paper. “Think they’ll let us go together?”

“Absolutely not.”

WHOOSH!

“Too late,” Penelope giggled. Not one minute later, the door opened.

A green bat appeared. “Newcomers. Fifteen-minute shared shower. But the captain demands to see you first.”

“Best behaviour,” Terro whistled as they left. He gave Jasmin a poke. “She doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Jasmin’s stomach churned, and it wasn’t from the pie.

Before ascending, they passed many other rooms, all with different labels on the doors. One mentioned being for ages six to nine, while another mentioned thirteen to fifteen. The higher they climbed, the more drastically the ship changed. The broken wood in the hold turned into polished metal. They passed one level of grumbling monsters, then another lined with velvet ropes, until their guard halted in front of a magnificent door framed with violet candy canes.

“Just as you asked for, captain.” The door swung open, and the bat fluttered them inside.

The scene before them was a juxtaposition—the grandeur of a pirate’s lair with the intimacy of a bedroom, dominated by a crimson-draped bed. And there, against a gingerbread-dark desk, stood the one behind it all.

Captain Syrup.

Her hair blazed like fire beneath a violet bandana. Her scarlet lips were sharp. Even before she spoke, Jasmin’s hands clenched into fists. Penelope got closer to her side.

Syrup pushed off the desk and circled them. Then she stopped.

“My, my, my,” she purred, tilting Penelope’s chin upward with a single finger. “The spitting image of the princess herself. Only much, much prettier.”

Penelope stuttered, “Thank you, ma’am.”

“Your name, treasure?”

“Penelope…”

Syrup’s lips curved. Then her eyes slid to Jasmin. “And you.” She set her hand on Jasmin’s cap, passing her thumb through her hair. “Eleven years old, huh? Mushrooms grow so much faster than humans at this age.”

Just like that, she dismissed Jasmin entirely. Her focus snapped back to Penelope.

“Penelope,” she sang, as if savouring the syllables. She grabbed the girl’s shoulder, causing her to flinch. “You’re trembling, treasure. Is it the ship?” She ran her finger along her own lips. “Or is it me?”

“I…”

“Goodness! These lips of yours…” Her gaze lingered on Penelope’s mouth.

Penelope’s breath caught in her throat. Her wide, panicked eyes darted towards Jasmin, pleading silently for help. She tried to lean back to create space, but she felt so much heavier after the meal. It felt like walking on a planet with four times the gravity.

Even if she could have moved them easily, Syrup’s grip was ironclad.

“Don’t be shy,” Syrup whispered, her own face getting closer. “It’s nothing but a sweet little taste test. Everybody gets one from me.”

“Huh?” A wave of nausea washed over Penelope.

Jasmin spotted her panic through how her body went rigid. Terro’s warning screamed in her mind. If she didn’t act, she’d have to watch her friend be consumed by Syrup’s twisted desires.

“Stop!” The word escaped Jasmin’s mouth laced with fear. Syrup froze, her lips a hair’s length from Penelope’s. Her eyes flashed with anger. Jasmin gulped, scrambling for her explanation. “She’s not… She’s not ready for this yet, captain. She doesn’t know anything.”

Syrup’s anger slowly gave way to curiosity, her grip on Penelope’s face relaxing. Jasmin seized the moment.

“She’s a sheltered kid, all things considered. I’ve got experience in this, so I’m more than fit to train her.” Jasmin patted Penelope’s back. “I’ll make her better, promise. For now, though, I’m more than willing to give myself to you.”

Syrup squinted.

Without hesitation, Jasmin threw her arms around Syrup’s body, standing on her toes to press her face against the captain’s. The kiss shocked Syrup, throwing off her balance for a split second.

But then a chuckle escaped her lips, a sound that sent another wave of dread through Jasmin. She gripped the back of Jasmin’s head, holding her in place as she took control of the kiss.

The kiss was everything Jasmin had feared and more. “Invasive” couldn’t come close to describing it. Syrup’s lips were surprisingly soft, but they tasted of artificial cherry and something intoxicating, like aged wine. Syrup’s tongue slithered past Jasmin’s lips, exploring her mouth with this possessive intensity; it threatened to wriggle down her throat. Groaning, Jasmin’s eyes watered.

Is this what Minh-Minh feels like when I kiss her the way I do?

As she endured the assault, she shot Penelope an embarrassed glance. Penelope’s cheeks were rosy, and her temperature only grew as the sounds of tongue-swirling and spit-swapping grew louder.

When Syrup eventually pulled back, a string of saliva connected them for a moment before snapping, leaving the bulk of the residue on Jasmin’s lips. Jasmin panted like a dog, her lungs burning.

“Clumsy, but your desperation is delicious,” Syrup noted, wiping a smear of lipstick from Jasmin’s lips. She flashed a flirty grin at Penelope before looking back at Jasmin. “But let’s see if you’re worthwhile beyond just those lips.”

Before Jasmin could process the words, Syrup hoisted her up and set her on the gingerbread desk. She then lifted Jasmin’s right foot, holding it in the air. The sole was caked with the grime of the hold, streaked with dirt and dust.

“Don’t disappoint me.” Syrup leaned in and dragged her tongue across the sole, from the heel to the base of her toes. The gritty texture of the filth amassed into a single mush along the captain’s tongue. Jasmin shuddered uncontrollably, covering her own mouth to stifle the urge to gag. She forced herself not to scream, not to cry and especially not to kick Syrup.

Syrup pulled back. She shut her eyes for a moment, savouring the taste as if it were a delicacy.

“Earthy.” She licked her lips, and a slow smile spread across her face. “Pure sweetness can be amazing, dears. But true connoisseurs know the best flavours are built on contrast. Sweet is nothing without a pinch of sourness to make it sing.”

Tickling Jasmin’s foot, she caused her toes to curl.

“And you, little mushroom, have quite the sour punch.”

With that, she returned to her task. Her tongue worked in long laps, scrubbing away the layers of filth with a wetness that sent shivers through Jasmin. Jasmin could feel the intense pressure of Syrup’s tongue sliding against her arch. Trying to imagine Minh in Syrup’s position failed every time, because Minh would never make such unsettling moaning sounds.

One by one, Syrup popped Jasmin’s toes into her mouth, sucking each one clean.

Penelope pouted. Not fair. Not like I wanted them dirty, but come on!

Finally Syrup released Jasmin. The foot, now gleaming with saliva, dangled from the desk. Syrup ran her hand along Jasmin’s shiny arch, getting one last flinch from the girl.

“Your obedience is intriguing. I’m curious just how far you’re willing to go,” Syrup chortled.

“I…” Jasmin shut her eyes, imagining she was back in school and giving her special services to Drew for money. She put on her sweeter voice, lightly swaying her hips. “Kiss me, stroke me—do whatever you’d like to me, Captain Syrup. And don’t hold back on Penelope once she’s ready. Just a little more time, please?”

“Very well, mushroom girl. Go and teach cute Penelope here the techniques you think I want to see.” She sucked on her index finger before flicking her golden-skull earring. “In the meantime, you’ll make for one scrumptious amuse-bouche.”

“I am proud to serve you,” Jasmin said with a toothy grin, her braces ready to shatter with each cursed word.

--------------------

Author’s Note:
You didn’t think I was gonna bring Syrup here without a twist, did you? Next week we’ll find out what exactly she wants these kids for, as well as learning what other threats swim in these waters.