the 5k around the world Part II (Location 3): Ireland

"Rah, rah!" Keith shouted as he yanked the portkey free. The red cap let out a hiss and charged, but Keith beat him around the head and shoulders with his silver portkey, causing it to cower and retreat.

"That's right bi-atch! Eat my shorts!" Keith shouted, doing a little victory dance. "I'm the be-est, you're a loser, I'm the be-est, you're a loser..."

There was an evil sounding hiss from the rafters.

Keith looked up.

The rafters were simply covered with red caps, all peering down with malicious grins. There had to be hundreds, all lying on top of each other or handing from the wooden beams; Keith was surprised they were able to hold all that weight.

But that surprise was overpowered by a sudden, crushing fear. "JACK! APPARATE! RIGHT! NOW!"

Jack let out a triumphant yell as Keith managed to yank the Portkey free of the Red Cap's devious grip. She began to laugh, leaning against the wall as the young boy began to do a victory dance of sorts, taunting the Red Caps. He reminded her a lot of herself when she was that age.

Sudden;y he stopped and she followed his gaze up to the rafters. Her laugh stopped as her voice caught in her throat. Oh...crap.

Keith yelled at her to apparate and she dove towards Keith and grabbed his arm, turning on the spot as the Red Caps launched themselves from the rafters. Her ey6rs closed and the nest time she opened them, they were blinded by sunlight.

She let out a breath. They were right outside of the theatre standing next to her car. She wiped her forehead. "Holy... crap." She said, before laughing. "Now that was an adventure."

The second after they reappeared in the alley, Keith threw up.

He really, really hated apparation.

"Okay..." He muttered, wiping his mouth and standing up. "That. Was awesome." He hefted the portkey, an old silver trophy with a little woman bowling on the top. Tucked in between the base, amazingly not disturbed by the trophy's brief stint as a Red Cap scepter, was a piece.

Keith scowled and took out the note, unfolding it and recognizing Mama's spidery handwriting. The note read:

Congratulations Keith!

Oh I do hope you got through the theatre. It's where I had my first date with your grandfather...nasty thing about the red caps...

"You're telling me."

But if you're reading this then you made it out ok. And that's all that matters right? Anyway, I think you'll be glad to know this is your last stop. I know I said the porkey takes off at 3:30, but....I lied. 3:00 should be it. I'll be waiting with brownies!

Love, Mama

"Thank you..." Keith muttered, looking up at the sky. "It's my last stop," he said, turning back to Jack. "My Mama's got brownies, probably so i won't strangle her."

Jack wheezed slightly and leaned against the building, allowing herself to catch her breath as she did so. She heard a retching noise and pointed her wand in the general direction lazily and said, "Scourgify." She did not glance over to see if it had worked, she somehow knew it had.

Jack walked over to examine the trophy. As Keith read from a note, Jack took a chance to let her eyes ass over the trophy appreciatively. In itself, it was pretty cool, though considering she had just fought off a hundred Red Caps for it, something solid gold or shinier would have been nice...

At Keith word's Jack grinned, a little sad that the adventure was over. "Oh, Mama," she said, saying the name the way Keith did. "She knows how to get to a kid's heart." Jack knew the healing power of brownies. "Glad it's over?" Jack asked him.