"Desi and Miranda you guys go and explore the woods and look for the special tree the book mentions." Bess ordered each of the girls to there partner and were the pair would explore. So far Bess had put together pretty good pairs and this was who she had paired off… Reagan and George, Desi and Miranda, herself and Jake. Nevertheless, Nancy was left out so Bess let Nancy be part of her group she knew if Ned were still here he would be her pair. So all the little pairs departed to there stations Bess, Nance, and Jake all set off for the house to look for Ned and any clues the house had to share with them. Hopefully clues to what the key went to and clues that told the girls and boy were to find Ned. While Nancy was off in her own world Bess and Jake Chatted about all the things they had in common. While as they departed Nancy overheard George and Reagan talking about how their pants matched. Nancy giggled whenever George and Reagan talked about their pants they were in a fairly calm and relaxed mood. Little did every one know they were all under someone's watchful eye Nancy could feel it in her gut. Whenever Bess glanced back at Nance, Nancy tried to telepathically transmit Bess what she felt. Finally, Bess got the message and was on had alert eye for anything suspicious. While Jake continued talking Bess, she was in a different world and was thinking about why the "ghost" supposedly haunting this place would take the only boy in the group and hides him somewhere. This was fairly odd was the "ghost" trying to get all of the girls away from the boys so the girls were absolutely hopeless. Although this could never happen Miranda was a black belt in Karate and Nancy knew all of the pressure points. Bess herself was good at kicking the bad guy's butts. None of them could be afraid of anything with them by their side. But would the "ghost" find a way to steal Jake like death took a persons soul like what had been done to Ned? Or was this all a trap, or was it a practical joke? None of the girls knew all they knew was to keep one another safe and everything else would fall into place. (Even though they all knew it would not be that simple.) "I think I'm going to be sick" Nancy groped. The she ran behind the house. Bess knew that would probably happen after crying so hard and when Nancy came back Bess made her stay in the tent the rest of the day. As Bess and her new friend walked around the house to the inside suddenly, they were joined by Nancy obviously, she was feeling better. Now Bess was thinking long and hard but kept coming back to one thing… what if Ned didn't come back. Even though she hated him with every bone and gut in her body, her friend loved him to death. No! She couldn't think negative about him again she owed that much to Nance. Especially when Nancy might never see him again. AHHHHHH! This is just way to complicated Bess thought. Finally she just gave up thinking. Then she fell back to earth hard and fast, literally and mentally. She had tripped and was all of one inch away from the whole. She heard Nancy shriek as she sprinted over to her, her face was as white as a sheet. She knew good and well that Nancy couldn't bare to lose another person she loved. It would be devastating. So Bess crawled away from the hole for Nance's sanity to be regained.

"Maybe we need to explore later lets go back to the tent and see if we can relax while we wait for the other girls to get back." Bess said as they walked out of the house and back to the tent.

***

When they got back to the tent Nance, Jake, and Bess played B.S., SPEED, and did card tricks. After a while things got boring so Jake went back to his tent to relax. As Bess sat down next to Nance, she thought of ways to tell her best friend that Ned wasn't coming back. Of course she could be wrong but it was a very high possibility that she was right. The girls chatted at ease back and forth. Then Bess slipped up and gave Nancy one of those back-at-you remarks about her never seeing Ned again. Me and my stupid mouth Bess thought to herself. Nancy agued back two could play that game.

"Maybe he's not hurt but he's somewhere, scared, and lonely…..I need to find him. It's the only way to keep my sanity." When Nancy was finished Bess let out a low laugh and retorted.

"Nancy think about it, it has been three days you may not need to find him…" She grimaced then continued on "you may lose your lunch as well as your sanity if you do find him." She concluded.