The next morning, Mike awoke with the biggest headache he ever had, and quite possibly the biggest one to mankind. Groaning, he turned over to his side, but Emily wasn't there. He listened closer and heard the shower running—she must be in there. He sat up a little bit, and the room spun with his throbbing head. He knew he shouldn't have drank that much yesterday…he needed to be alert for being on the move again and this wasn't the way to do it. Maybe he'd grab a coffee once he got down to the dining room. He figured he should probably go down now, before it got any worse.

Getting up clumsily, Mike staggered out of bed and sluggishly got dressed. "Emily!" he called gruffly; it was the first time he used his voice this morning.

"Yeah?" came Emily's reply from the shower.

"I'm headed down to the dining room," Mike called back. "Meet me down there if you want."

"Okay, I will," said Emily. Mike nodded and headed out. He wondered if the others were out yet; not that he would mind if he were the only one out there right now. He didn't figure he was ready to meet anyone in the condition he was in, friend or foe. The dining room was pretty empty, aside from a few scattered people and the bartender, who was cleaning cups and plates for the day. Mike found a seat away from the vast majority of the small amount of people and leaned his head against the wall.

"What can I get you?" asked the nasally-voiced waitress who approached him.

"Coffee," grunted Mike. "Black."

"Coming right up," drawled the waitress as she walked away with the order. She came back with it in a few moments and Mike took a sip. Of course it was way too hot, and he cursed grumpily when his tongue was burned, which made his head spin even more. This was not going to be a good day.

As he was drinking the coffee more as it cooled down, he noticed three suspicious people walk up to the bar and start speaking with the bartender. Mike knew it was silly, but he decided to keep an eye on it anyway. The three men were dressed in black suits, so why they were at an inn like that one all dressed up was beyond Mike, let alone the fact that they were talking to the bartender. It then occurred to Mike that he probably shouldn't be looking directly at the men. He looked away just in time; at that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the bartender point right at him, and the other men nodded and walked off. Something wasn't right here. He quickly finished his coffee and headed back to his room.

When he got back, Emily was dressed and brushing her hair. "What's wrong Mike/" she asked. "I was just on my way down to meet you."

"Emily, something funny's happening around here," said Mike. "I'll tell you about it when we get the rest of the group together. By the way, how are you feeling? After last night. I know that wasn't my finest hour."

"Oh, I'm fine," said Emily perkily. "By the way, you look terrible."

"Oh, gee, thanks," said Mike. "Nice to have someone as brutally honest as you around, Em."

"Thank you!" said Emily. "So…how bad is this thing you need to tell everybody?"

"I'm not sure yet," said Mike. "But it was weird."

"Well, if you think it's so important, I think we'd better get out of here and tell the rest about it," said Emily. "Should Raul know too?"

"Honey, I have a feeling that he already knows," said Mike. He and Emily left his room and Mike knocked on the other three doors everyone else was staying in.

"Wuzzamatter?" asked Peter, who peeked out of his room, tussle-haired and heavy eyed.

"Come on Peter, we need to wake the others up," said Mike. "This is serious—I think we may have a bit of a problem on our hands."

"The only problem is you bursting in on us here…" Micky groaned from his bed.

"Seriously guys, this isn't a time to play games," said Mike. "Wake up, and I'm gonna get the others out and in your room; we need to talk about something I saw earlier." He banged on Davy and Riley's door, and the two came stumbling out, giggling and flushed in the face.

"Hey, what's the fuss mate?" asked Davy. "We were just getting busy!"

"I didn't need to know that Davy," said Mike. "Come on, you two in Peter and Micky's room, now. I'm gonna get Robbie…dunno what I'm gonna do about Raul."

"Is it urgent?" asked Riley, getting serious.

"I dunno, may be, we just have to talk about it," said Mike as he knocked on Robbie and Raul's door. Robbie came out, and Raul was nowhere to be seen. Good, thought Mike. Maybe it was better not to have Raul there if it was a plot against them. Then again…where was he and what was he doing if he wasn't there?

"Hey there Mike," said Robbie. "Emily."

"Robbie, we're all getting in Peter and Micky's room," said Mike. "Need to talk about something I saw this morning—it was suspicious. Where's Raul at?"

"No clue," said Robbie. "I woke up this morning and he was gone. Either trying to get away from us or he's up to something, and I'm going with that second choice."

"Well that would make a lot of sense then," said Mike. He led everyone into Peter and Micky's room and they all sat down as Mike shut and locked the door behind them.

"What's this all about Mike?" asked Micky.

"Yeah mate, it's early," said Davy.

"Well it sure wasn't for you and Riley," said Mike, prompting a look of bother from Robbie. "Okay everybody, here goes—"

"Finally," muttered Peter.

"Shush Peter, this could be bad," said Emily.

Mike waited for everyone to shut up again, and continued. "So, there I was, down in the dining room getting my coffee," said Mike. "When three or so men, all dressed in black suits like some kind of freaking mafia come up to the bar and start talking to the bartender. It was a little weird, but it seemed innocent enough, till the bartender pointed at me!"

"What happened then?" asked Robbie, intrigued.

"Nothing much," said Mike. "The three guys looked over at me, nodded, and walked off. I'm really bothered though, I'm wondering if this has anything to do with Raul or Gary or whoever."

"Did they say anything?" asked Emily.

"They were speaking, but I didn't hear anything they said," said Mike.

"Wow," said Peter, looking positively freaked out. "I knew this wasn't gonna end well…"

"Now wait a minute Peter, we don't know for sure what's going on," said Mike. "Robbie, do you remember Raul acting suspicious or anything last night?"

"Damned if I remember what shirt I was wearing last night man," said Robbie. "I tell ya, we should have never had drank anything of the sort yesterday."

"Yeah man, I agree," said Davy. "I'll tell ya, I feel fine now, but I'm about as fuzzy as a throw rug."

"Or Micky's head!" Peter piped up.

"Okay Peter, we get it," said Micky grumpily.

"I don't get why you all are so grouchy," said Emily. "Hell, I feel great!"

"You do now?" asked Mike. "Well then Emily, would you happen to remember anything seedy that happened with Raul last night?"

"No, I don't," said Emily. "I just remember him being really grumpy and annoyed with us. Then we went off to our room Mike, remember?"

"Oh…oh…yeah, wait, I do…" said Mike, flushing at the memory. Drunken loving was not the best kind in the world, and he had to say he was a little ashamed of himself. "And that's it? No one's seen Raul since then?"

"Nope, not a sight," said Riley.

"Man, I was supposed to keep an eye on him," said Robbie bitterly.

"It's okay Robbie, we were all kind of at fault here," said Davy. "I'm sure he's around, and at least we know to be careful now with knowing what Mike saw earlier."

"That's right," said Mike. "I know he has something to do with those guys…anyone wonder why he stayed so long talking to the bartender yesterday?"

"Yeah, they must be in cahoots," said Micky. "What do you think they're planning?"

"Who in the hell knows," said Mike. "Emily, keep that flute as close as you can, you understand?"

"Yeah," said Emily. "And the music, where is that?"

"It's in here," said Peter. "We're watching it."

"Okay, good," said Mike. "Emily only looked at the simple ones; there's no telling what those crazy-looking ones can do."

"We'll guard them with our lives!" said Peter stoutly.

"Or maybe a little less than that," said Micky. "But they'll be safe, don't worry."

"Good," said Mike. "Okay everyone, I guess we gotta start the day. If we're gonna be leaving here, we're gonna have to be ready."

"But—what if you're right, and something does happen, and we don't leave?" asked Emily nervously.

Mike put a hand on her shoulder and she looked at him with frightened eyes. "Then we'll be ready for whatever anyone throws at us," he said. Emily forced a smile, but Mike could still tell she was nervous. She clutched her flute with a delicate hand and tried to be strong.

Meanwhile, in another room:

"You know what has to be done today, correct?" asked Raul to the three suited men.

"Yes," they all said.

"Perfect," said Raul. "I know you saw one of them. He will always be close to the girl with the flute. The others will be together as well. Give it a few hours, have them still be comfortable before they are taken."

The men nodded.

"Good," said Raul. "Gary will be pleased with all of you, as will I." The three men walked out of the room, leaving Raul alone. He would return to the group, and once a few hours would pass, those silly kids would be in the clutches of Gary Rowe, finally. The flute, the spells, and the girl. And Raul would be free from this nightmare. Smiling to himself, he walked out of the room and over to wherever that group was staying.

In Peter and Micky's room:

There was a knock on the door, and the group froze up. "Well?" Davy finally spoke, squeaked rather. "Someone gonna get it?"

"I've got it," said Mike, getting up. "Seriously, just cause some weird things are happening doesn't mean every little thing is gonna jump out and kill you." He opened the door and saw Raul standing in the doorway. "Though I could always be wrong."

"What was that?" asked Raul.

"Oh, nothing," said Mike. "Just being my usual goofy self, come on in Raul!"

"What's going on in here?" asked Raul. "Why the perfect circle you're sitting in?"

"We were playing Duck, Duck, Goose!" said Peter. Even Emily looked bothered by that comment, which meant it was actually genuinely stupid.

"No Peter!" said Micky. "We were gonna have a séance!"

"Don't let them confuse you Raul," said Mike. "We were just having a little talk, that's all."

"About what?" asked Raul.

"Boy, ain't you nosey!" said Mike. "Who needs to know?"

"Never mind," said Raul. Just a few more hours…then it would all be done…they'd be Gary's problem then.

"So where were you all this time?" asked Robbie. "We were a little worried, everything okay?"

"Everything's just fine," said Raul. "I'm never in trouble."

"Oh, well that's good," said Riley. "Not even when we rescued you all from the river? So humble." Raul ignored it, again.

"Come everyone," said Raul. "Let's go down to the dining room; I'm sure you'll be wanting something to eat."

"Trust me man, if I had something to eat about now, I'd be sick," said Micky.

"Oh, I forgot, of course, last night's indulgence," said Raul. "You lot ought to be more careful. Something could happen."

"That sounds a little seedy to me it does," said Davy.

"Well I didn't mean it to be," said Raul. "When you all are ready, meet me down at the dining room."

"Will do sir," said Mike. "Come on Emily, let's get back to the room, I don't feel like going down just yet."

"Coming," said Emily. The two walked back to their room and closed the door. "I'm telling you, I know I liked Raul at first," Emily said again. "But that was before I knew he was a crook…he's actually downright nasty."

"You're telling me," said Mike, throwing himself down on the bed. Emily sat down next to him and pulled out the photograph of Charles.

"Mike, do you think we were meant to run into that workshop?" she asked.

"Well, you were kind of dragged there," said Mike. "Do you think…possibly…it was the magic in the flute bringing you there? I mean, it's possible."

"You know Mike, I think you just made sense of that whole thing," said Emily. "That workshop must have something to do with why we're here though…why Gary's here." She stroked the picture. "I just wish I knew him…my great grandfather. I wonder what he was like."

"Probably just like you," said Mike.

Emily ran the fingers of her other hand across the flute. "I also wish I knew how Alexander Jules put the magic into the flute…there are just so many things I need to know. Why my family? Why me? Mike, I know I've been hiding it, but I'm so lost and I just want answers…and I think that's the one thing I want that the flute can't give me."

"Emily, we'll be at your uncle Gary's soon enough," said Mike. "I know you're scared of him, but he'll give us answers, I know he will, no matter what kind of harm he wants to do us."

"What if we don't live to remember the answers?" asked Emily.

"Trust me Em, we will," said Mike. He touched her hand that was holding the flute, and he took both the flute and the photograph away and placed them on the bedside table. He ran his hand up her arm and into her hair as he kissed her deeply, comforting her, and himself as well.

Later, after more kissing and touching, Mike and Emily left the room to see everyone else sitting at a table in the dining room. "Bout time you came around," said Micky. "What was the holdup?"

"Nothing Micky," said Mike, taking a seat and helping Emily into one as well. "Boy am I hungry…"

"Sure you worked up an appetite in there," Peter chortled.

"Shut up Pete, it's not the time for that," said Mike.

"So nice for you two to finally join us though," drawled Raul, brimming with sarcasm. "Now we can order something."

"Aw, you didn't have to wait for us!" said Emily.

"Trust me, I did, I had to," said Raul. "It's only polite." Of course, the real reason he had to wait for those two was that he couldn't render the group unconscious and have them brought off to Gary's house, least of all without Emily. She was the prize jewel in this coalmine of a rag-tag group.

"Well can we order something now then?" asked Davy. "I'm starving!"

"Yes, let's order," said Raul. A waiter came over and took orders. Raul shot a look to the bartender, who nodded in understanding. He sneakily slipped fast-dissolving pills into the group's drinks that would knock them out long enough to have the three men transport them to Gary.

"What's wrong there Raul?" asked Mike.

"Yeah dude, you look uneasy," said Robbie.

"Nothing is wrong," said Raul. The food and drinks were delivered to the hungry group's delighted eyes.

"Wow, this looks great!" said Riley. "I could really go for some food right about now…"

"What about your drinks?" asked Raul.

"Hey man, no more alcohol on this journey," said Mike.

"There is no alcohol in these, I promise you," said Raul. Of course, there was something else in them, but no one needed to know that, did they?

"I am pretty thirsty," said Peter.

"Let's toast!" Raul suddenly exclaimed, raising his un-poisoned glass in the air. "To Emily, and her gift of the enchanted flute!"

"To Emily!" Everyone chanted, not realizing the danger. Everyone drank at the same time, what Raul needed them to do. He watched with a satisfied smile as the group swallowed down the beverage.

"You know, that tasted kind of funny," said Peter with a disapproving look.

"Nah, it wasn't too bad," said Mike. Just then, he started to feel lightheaded again like he felt in the morning. His vision slowly went in and out of focus. Everyone else seemed to look funny too, but Mike couldn't tell. Soon, everything was completely blurry and losing its color, until Mike's head fell down on the table and everything turned to black.