Hi. Just a quick update. I'm trying to type as much as I can. It is September after all!

AbbieCole: Thank you. I'm so glad you're reading my stories.

31 July 2012

"OK, come on, everyone," called Mike, waiting near the van door." We have space for a few extras now, come along."

The newcomers on the trip were Sapphire and Cam, Cam's trip was over in Russia where her hotel was attacked by a suspicious gas leak. Sapphire has come for old times' sake.

"That's good news," said Mike to Cam. "We actually take 3 staff when we're on vacation; you just came at the right time."

"Oh, I wouldn't know about staff," mentioned Cam. "More like, a helper."

Everyone was in the van now. The kids: Johnny, Gus, Carmen, Lily, Tee, Rick, Jody, Sapphire and Elektra. And the staff: Tracy, Cam, Mike and Gina. Mike was driving, and Gina would take over once they'd reached Drury Park Close.

As the journey commenced, Mike explained everything. "I'm driving all the way to Drury Park close; it's a road down South. I called a taxi and it should meet us there. Gina will take the van back to Elm Tree and the taxi will take us to the house. It's a BIG taxi guys, it won't be cramped in there."

Gus said, "We're in North East England, and Cranning House is in the South. How will we get there quick enough for us to have lunch?"

Tracy answered, "We're not going straight there. We're going to stop a few times at drop-off points."

"A few times?" echoed Jody.

"Yes, it will be a long journey, that's why I made you pack up food for now. We wouldn't arrive at this house until, say, 6PM."

That surprised everyone. They didn't know that it would take all day to go to this holiday resort. To keep everyone busy, Tracy started a game of Car Geography. At the same time, she was in a conversation with Cam, stating that this was the first Dumping Ground holiday that Cam had taken in years.

After a few lunch breaks and toilet stops, Mike stopped the van at Drury Park close. This was a dark area closed by forests on either side of the road. It seemed the sort of idyllic place for fox-hunters, except there didn't seem to be any sound coming from anywhere.

Everyone departed from the van, except for Gina, who moved to the driver seat.

"This the place, yeah?"

"I'm not sure…" Mike murmured. "There's a landmark over there, I think it's where the taxist said he'd be."

"Right," said Elektra. "So, the mad taxi-man is gonna collect us in a quiet corner where he can kill us all and no one knows where we are."

"Shut up, Elektra, you're scaring the little ones," warned Sapphire.

Mike wasn't too convinced of the scene. "Hmm, a strange place to pick people up, it must be right, this is Drury Park Close."

A few minutes later, Gina drove the van back home and left everyone else stranded. Then it started to pour.

"Oh no, it's meant to be summer and I didn't bring any umbrellas," said Cam.

"Where's the stupid taxi?" grumbled Tracy. Everyone was getting agitated for having waited so long for someone that never appeared.

"What a waste of time!" went Carmen. "There's no sign of it."

Please tell me what yo uthought of this chapter. Seriously.