The Mysterious Wrinkle in Society

Disclaimer: All rights to the characters WIT go to Madeline L'Engle. All rights to characters of MBS go to Trenton Lee


Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin find themselves meeting four individuals who might relate. However will they be any help to what they've already lost?


Meg wasn't able to get up from bed. She wanted to stay in her dusty basement bedroom and sleep and sleep until Mother, Father, Sandy and Dennys, Charles Wallace, or Calvin tried their many attempts of waking her up. She still didn't like school but continued to manage it with more confidence than before.

People, nonetheless, still ridiculed her and her brother, the principle as you may think still thought of her as a dweeb, and the kids still continued to think of her little brother as dumb. However it was beginning to happen less often. And thankfully today was a Saturday.

"Megaton, my dear it's time to wake up."

Mr. Murry was up and ready. Today he had decided to take her and Charles Wallace to a destination that he dubbed as a "surprise." However, Meg wanted to know what the surprise was and Charles Wallace was boring into both of his parents minds trying to find something that would be able to give them a hint, but that, whatsoever didn't work. The two parents both knew their kids too well for the surprise to be unveiled so quickly.

After Mr. Murry got his daughter up and moving the father and daughter were able to make themselves downstairs for where Charles Wallace and Mrs. Murry would be waiting. Mrs. Murry was in her lab coat with her occasional pencil skirt and purple cashmere sweater while Charles Wallace was in his normal red sweater, black pea coat, and school boy shorts that made him somehow appear more youth.

"Well darling, we're about to leave and I hope Dennys and Sandy have a good day. The project is almost in ground so I'll make sure to make it back early enough to help you with the finishing product." Meg couldn't help but think how her father said only himself to make it back home. Is the place an overnight stay?

The trio; father, son, and daughter then soon made their way out the door into the car their father would be taking them in. Meg slid in the back with Charles Wallace. Although she was old enough to sit in the front seat like every other teenager, she always had liked it better being in her younger brother's company. Ever since they had defeated The Black Thing she had become very protecting of him. Charles Wallace didn't mind it one bit though, and loved he had an older sister like Meg to stand by his side.

After the car started and everyone was content, the car soon made its way down their neighborhood street starting their journey to the "mysterious" destination.

"Are we here now father?" Charles Wallace asked. It was the fifteenth time he had asked and would be the last.

"Yes," replied Mr. Murry patiently.

He parked near a cafe and stopped the ignition.

"Is Meg awake Charles?"

Before Charles Wallace could even say anything, the blonde opened her eyes and glanced at her surroundings. "I'm awake father."

"Okay, well that's good. Now let's get going children."

When they stepped out of the car they learned from Mr. Murry they would be walking to this "mysterious" destination much to Meg's chagrin. She was still awfully tired and wanted to take another nap, however the excitement of her little brother was what kept her moving. What's this place going to do? This reminds me of IT. The thought of the evil place made her shiver.

"Are you alright Meg?" Charles Wallace inquired. His big genuine eyes bored into her soul. Meg smiled at him and wiped her nose with her finger. "Yes, I'm fine Charles. Thank you." It seemed as if he knew better to believe that his sister was okay, when she wasn't in fact. He continued to stare at her until Mr. Murry stopped walking. The two children did as well.

"What's wrong father?" Meg asked. Her father's eye brows were furrowed in concentration as he stared at the watch on his wrist. "Mmm, well it seems like we're early."

"What do we do now." Charles Wallace questioned eying the building's entrance.

"We wait."

Thus a few minutes passed until Mr. Murry suggested to get something to eat. "What would you two like to eat? I could go get you two something at the café." Meg and Charles Wallace nodded. They were quite hungry considering they skipped breakfast, food was the only thing on their minds at the moment.

"I want a croissant father!" Meg chirped. And of course her brother wanted a simple sandwich. "Okay, I'll be right back. Just around the corner if you need anything. Meg while I'm gone, you are to watch your brother."

Meg nodded and Mr. Murry was gone.

"We're taking a test," said Charles Wallace.

"What do you mean?" Meg grew a bit nervous. Tests weren't her ideal thing if they didn't involve math equations or science to say the least. If not any of those things, she was sure to flunk them. Her hand was wrapped around her brother's small hand, while his other hand held a large newspaper. "And it says here to bring a pencil."

Meg grabbed the paper from her brother's hand. "May I see this?" He nodded. She scanned the newspaper and saw an ad. "ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES?" What has father gotten us into? Meg saw where it did say to bring a pencil and nothing more. And nor her or Charles Wallace had a pencil, they were both empty handed.

We don't have pencils. Why would father take us to a test when we don't even have pencils? Meg was a little irritated from her father's lack of instinct and following of directions. Charles Wallace read Meg's mind and squeezed her hand. She shifted her eyes away from the newspaper onto her brother.

"Don't worry Meg, father has two perfectly sharpened pencils in his coat pocket don't worry, I saw them." Meg smiled at her brother and nodded, giving him reassurance she was fine. It wasn't that she was angry at her father she just hated the fact she didn't know what she was getting herself into. She knew for sure Calvin would've been thinking the same thing too if he were here, but somehow she KNEW he would've made her feel a whole lot better and at least would've known what to do. And Ms. Whatsit, Ms. Whosit, and Ms. Which would've told them where to go if they have had taken them to the "mysterious" destination.

An hour had passed since Mr. Murry went to get them some food and since then he hadn't come back. The two children were now nervous and anxious.

"Maybe our orders got held up," suggested Meg. Even though she seemed calm and compacted on the outside, an abundance of worries were raging through her mind. What if this is like last time?What if father went missing again? Where does that leave us?

"Meg, should we go on without father? He would understand wouldn't he?" Meg looked warily at the corner—where her father was lastly scene. She sighed and looked at the entrance of the building. It seemed as if it were closed but telling from where the cars were located. This, she knew, was the back of the building. Not the entrance.

"This is the back, we should go onto the front." But before Meg grabbed her brother's hand he started running away from her. She ran after him.

"Charles, where are you going?" Meg followed her brother but was having a difficult time. Athletics weren't her strong suit.

Charles Wallace then stopped and there they both were at the café. Their father's car was still parked nearby, however the café seemed to be closed. Both children were quite sure they saw the place full of people before they had walked down towards the "mysterious" destination with their father. Now the café looked as if it were never open for business. The place was vacant and even telling from inside, the place seemed deemed to be closed down.

"That's weird. Wasn't the place open the last time." Meg whispered audible enough for Charles Wallace to hear. His face showed disbelief and weariness; clearly stating he was scared and terrified of the misconception. They were both weary of the whole ordeal. Nonetheless they decided to see if there was any other place their father could be.

For half the hour they searched everywhere for their father. It was relentless searching and although the children were both terrified they were unaware of their complete surroundings, someone was trailing silently behind them unbeknownst to their knowledge. The figure was quite tall for his age, had red hair, and was alabaster with freckles sprinkled upon his nose. Creeping more closely to the teenage girl... "ROAR!"

Charles Wallace turned around and smiled. "Hi Calvin, how did you find us he—" before he could even finish his sentence Meg whisked him away by his arm and ran. "Meg it's Cal—" the blonde girl didn't want to hear it but somehow her brother had let go and she ran into a figure.

"Meg calm down, it's me." Calvin hugged Meg for a minute until she started hitting him on the chest. Startled he let go of her. "What's wrong?" She then burst into tears. Calvin looked at Charles Wallace whom nodded—giving him the hint that there was something terrifically wrong.

"Fatherisnthereandhesaidhewasgoingtogetussomethingtoeatandhehasntcomebackandwherehesaidhewouldgetourfoodisclosed." Calvin didn't understand a word she had said, after a few minutes; tears dried and everything she was able to explain. "Father hasn't comeback," she said worriedly.

"And the café down there," Charles Wallace added, pointing at the venue. "He was going to get our food."

"But isn't it..." Calvin looked warily at the café. It seems pretty closed to me.

"No," interjected Meg sullenly. "The place was open when we had first got here. Father parked near the café. So we were aware where he was going to get our food. But after an hour he didn't comeback, and when we went to see if he was still at the café..." Meg wasn't able to finish her sentence, she knew if she did she would burst into another set of tears. Times like these she really wanted her three guardian angels around, however the one person she utterly wanted the most was Aunt Beast.

"Father might possibly be missing," conjured Charles Wallace rubbing his chin with his index finger. "We searched everywhere for him and if he went home without our notification, his car still wouldn't be here to our knowledge."

Calvin agreed.

"Why are you here?" Meg asked. She looked at him and saw he only had one pencil in his hand.

Flushing the redheaded boy replied, "To take some test. It only said to bring a pencil and that was all."

"He might be taking the same test as us Meg!" Charles Wallace was jumping up and down excitingly. Meg smiled, a strained one to say the least. "We had pencils but father kept then," she said. "And what kind of test is this? Most likely there weren't study guides, were there?"

Calvin shrugged. "This test is out of sorts. In the newspaper it said to just a bring a pencil and nothing more. The way they have the schedule set up and everything, I'm guessing this test is complicated in some sort of way."

Meg nodded and thought for a moment. "Did your parents drop you off here?" Calvin flushed again. Scratching the back of his neck, "No. I had to take a city train and two buses just to get here. For my mom or dad to drop me off here would've been a miracle, they weren't up yet. And even if I had asked them to its not like they would've done it."

"You could've asked mother or father," said Charles Wallace. "We would have certainly let you join us."

Calvin smiled.

"Sorry, I just didn't wanna be a bother. It's already bad I'm that way with my parents. Ya' know with being a sport and all."

Meg stood up and crossed her arms. "Stop it. We wouldn't have minded and you're not in anyway a bother. You're part of the family, Calvin. Stop being humble and accept the things people offer you." The fourteen year old boy nodded with his face beet red.

"Now are any of you aware of the time? I'm afraid we're going to be late for the test." Charles Wallace stared at Meg. She was about to object, however she obliged against the doing and went by her brother's wishes. "Okay, but we need pencils don't we?"

A/N: Review please. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.