A/N Hello, everybody! I have finally returned with an update for all of you. So read and enjoy. :D
Thanks to all Reviewers!
Dedication: to Dawnfire17, thank you for your review. I can assure you that something evil will indeed happen to Frank eventually. I am quite incapable of writing a story in which he is not tormented. :D (only in my world does talk of torment merit a smiley face...)
Disclaimer: I own nothing. ;)
"So, obviously our first priority needs to be to locate Iola as soon as possible." Chet put in, obviously very concerned about his missing younger sister.
"The question is whether we should look for her as a group or split up," Frank began glancing around at everyone. "Obviously, we thought splitting up was the best option earlier, but it seems like that makes it easier for whoever took Iola to prey on us." He rationalized.
"Yeah, but that also means it will take that much longer to be able to find her." Callie pointed out.
"Whatever we do we need to do it as soon as humanly possible." Joe exclaimed his face tight with worry over his girlfriend.
"Let's just split up, Joe will have to join another group, but if we split up we have a better chance of finding her faster." Tony reasoned.
"Alright, but we should agree not to approach if we manage to find Iola. Whoever has her is probably dangerous and we're going to want to all be present when we attempt to rescue her, two or three of us shouldn't just go rushing in." Phil said by way of agreement.
"Fine, fine." Joe agreed. "Why don't I join up with Phil and Chet?"
"Sounds good." Chet agreed while the others nodded their consent.
"Okay, meet back here in half an hour or if you find Iola. Agreed?" Frank suggested garnering nods and murmurs of assent from those gathered.
-Story Break-
A dark figure watched on a cluster of television screens as the group of teens formed their plans and agreed on a meeting time, laughing softly to himself. Their attempts were really quite comical. He was certain that by the time they returned in a half an hour to that spot not only would they not have managed to rescue their precious Iola they would have lost one more from their number.
He did so enjoy being the ringmaster.
-Story Break-
"What are we going to do?" Tony wondered. "Wander randomly from building to building hoping that we'll open the door to one and discover Iola?"
"Well, yeah, pretty much," Biff replied with an affirmative nod. "You have grasped the core concept of the plan."
"Oh. Well. Then." Tony replied succinctly. "Let's just hope we find Iola before whoever has Iola finds us."
"I second that." Biff replied with a nod as they reached a likely looking building and he pushed the door open, he would've expected it to creak seeing as how the fairground seemed to be so long in disuse, instead the door swung open soundlessly on well-oiled hinges.
Tony and Biff preceded into the dark room their hearts hammering in their chests.
-Story Break-
Callie clung tightly to her boyfriend's hand as they entered their second building in the past fifteen minutes. The first had yielded nothing despite their careful search for secret doors or passageways that could lead them to Iola. She really wished that real life were more like Scooby Doo, where they all but hung a giant sign bearing the legend, 'bad guys hidden here,' that would be really helpful to them right about now.
Unfortunately, the bad guy in this case, whoever he may be, did not appear willing to oblige them. The room they were currently appeared to have been a eating area in a previous life, when the carnival had undoubtedly been far less creepy, and more orientated to family fun than serving as the home to a kidnapper.
Tables and chairs littered the room, and a thick layer of dust clung to everything, Callie followed Frank behind the counter in search of a phone, or Iola, or really anything that could prove to be of use.
Frank and Callie quickly discovered that they were not alone in the abandoned eating area.
-Story Break-
Phil, Chet, and Joe had examined every single detail of the ticket booth that Iola had disappeared near, and had been unable to find any footprints, or secret doorways that her assailant may have dragged her through. Everything was eerily still, conjuring up images of the calm that comes directly before a tornado hits.
The only noise in the otherwise silent fairground was the faint strains of music coming from the carousel. Iola had, or so it appeared, quite literally disappeared into thin air leaving no trace of where she had gone.
"You know that merry go round is really beginning to freak me out." Chet muttered staring over at the slowly rotating device.
"We don't have time to worry about that now, we need to find Iola." Joe replied insistently.
"You don't think I know that?" Said girl's brother replied with a glare. "It just seems like there might be more to that carousel that meets the eye."
Joe eyed the merry go round and its white horses dubiously. "It looks pretty normal to me."
"Why don't we just check it out?" Phil intervened. "I mean we need to check everywhere anyway..."
"I guess." Joe replied leading the way over to the merry go round.
He reached up, bracing himself against one of the white horses as he pulled himself onto the platform. Phil and Chet mirrored his actions and soon all three were standing on the carousel.
The merry go round began to rotate, steadily picking up speed, and all three teenagers reached out for something to grab on to as the world disappeared in a dizzying whirl.
All around the mulberry bush
The monkey chased the weasel
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun
Pop! goes the weasel.
A/N I apologize for the delay everyone, the next chapter should be up next Thursday in compliance with the schedule. Review!
