"Daphne, no!" Sabrina cried.
"Don't worry," Daphne cried. "Ms. White taught us that these moves will stop an attacker much bigger than yourself.
"Move into offensive stance," Daphne continued, shifting her body into her attack stance with fists clenched. "Present your warrior face! Argggghhhh!"
The beast looked down at her and roared so loudly that Daphne's hair flew back.
Unfazed by the monster's scream, Daphne rushed forward. "Deliver attack!" She kicked the Jabberwocky in the leg, but her assault was like a mosquito biting an elephant. The beast reached down and picked the little girl off the floor with its free hand. Now it had both Sabrina's grandmother and her sister in its deadly grasp.
Sabrina looked to the crowd of Everafters for help. Ms. White looked as if she wanted to but was held fast by Charming. Mr. Canis and Sheriff Hamstead were still recovering from the Jabberwocky's attack. Most everyone else was cowering in fear. There were no heroes to save them. Sabrina caught a glimpse of the Queen of Hearts. She stood off to the side with a wicked smile.
Suddenly, there was a pop!
Uncle Jake appeared out of thin air high above the Jabberwocky. He landed on top of the monster's back and wrapped his arms around its neck. Moments later, unable to hold the beast, he was flung to the floor. But the man's sudden appearance had surprised the beast, and it dropped Granny Relda and Daphne.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies," Uncle Jake said, helping his mother and the little girl to their feet. He tapped the Nome King's belt wrapped around his waist and shrugged. "Do you know how hard it is to find thirty size-D batteries?"
The monster roared in frustration and took a step toward the family. It was all Sabrina needed. She snatched the blade off the ground and held it over her head. One swift slice would bring her family home. It would save Puck and get him to safety. Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. She turned and found Uncle Jake.
" 'Brina, this belongs to me," he said as he took the sword away from her. Sabrina looked into his face and saw a broken heart finally getting its revenge. This monster had killed Uncle Jake's father. It had decimated his family, forcing his mother to erase his existence. It had helped kidnap his brother and sister-in-law. It had brought misery on the girls. Sabrina stepped aside. Uncle Jake walked calmly over to the Jabberwocky as if he had been preparing for this moment all his life. He glanced over at Red Riding Hood as if to say, "It's over," and then plunged the sword deep into the beast's belly.
The Jabberwocky's death cry was oddly faint and pathetic. Uncle Jake pulled the sword out again, aimed it where the monster's heart might have been, and sank it deep into its flesh. There was a moment of calmness on the beast's face and then it fell over as if it had been pushed. When it tumbled to the ground it caused the gymnasium's shiny hardwood floor to buckle. The monster's little leathery wings flapped for a few moments and then grew still.
"You killed the kitty!" Red Riding Hood raged. "You ruined the game!"
Daphne stepped over to the girl, bowed, presented her warrior face, and then punched Red Riding Hood in the face. She fell over unconscious.
"Crazy talk," Daphne said to the crumpled girl.
Uncle Jake yanked the blade from the monster and held it in his hands. He looked as if he wanted to kill the monster all over again.
"It's over, Jake," Granny said.
"Is it?" he said, as several Everafters approached: Snow White, Sheriff Hamstead, the Queen of Hearts, Sheriff Nottingham, as well as a collection of talking animals, Munchkinlanders, and trolls. The Blue Fairy was at their center.
"This is an outrage!" the Queen of Hearts screamed. "This was a deliberate action by Mayor Charming and his cronies, the family Grimm, to disrupt this election. I wouldn't be surprised if this was an attempt to sway voters into believing this family has value in this community. Well, it won't work!"
"If you don't shut your mouth right now, I'm going to shut it for you," Snow White said.
"You insolent cow," Nottingham said. "You may be the mayor's trollop, but your demands mean little to me." He pulled his sword from his waist and stalked toward the Grimms. "Even if we don't win this election, things are going to change right now."
Suddenly, an arrow zipped through the air and impaled Nottingham's hand. His sword fell to the ground and he cried out in agony.
"You won't lay a hand on the Grimms as long as I live," a voice bellowed. Sabrina turned and nearly fell over in shock. Mayor Charming stood on the stage, bow in hand and with another arrow set to fly. A man in a green suit stood next to him. He had bright red hair and a bushy goatee.
"I told you he was in league with them," the queen cried.