Finding the location for the dance had been an easy endeavor as the town plastered homemade signs all over the place. From the outside, the time team could hear the live music playing within the elegant building that Lucy had determined to be City Hall.
"What's the plan here?" Wyatt asked. "We can't exactly go in there and pretend we're a bunch of teenagers."
"Well, maybe you can't," Rufus said. "Some of us haven't gone gray yet."
Wyatt shot him an annoyed look. Flynn suggested, "Why don't Rufus and Lucy head inside. We can scout around the street."
"And what happens when they run into Bloodstone?" Wyatt asked. "It's not like either one of them is armed."
"I'll go with Flynn," Rufus offered. "Problem solved." Rufus started down the lane, eager to end the fighting that seemed to never stop.
Lucy watched as Flynn gave her a small apologetic smile before following Rufus. Wyatt reached out to grab her arm but she pulled away from him. She turned and entered City Hall. Wyatt sighed, following her in.
Walking down the lane, Rufus asked, "What was all of that about?"
"I've been trying to talk some sense into Wyatt," Flynn told him.
Rufus's face contorted in confusion. "You're giving him advice?" Flynn hummed a response and Rufus asked, "Has it worked yet?"
"No."
"Didn't think so," Rufus admitted. "That boy's got a thick skull."
Flynn sighed. "I think he's the reason why Tenley disappeared."
Rufus flinched as if the words had slapped him. "What? Is that even possible?"
"Think about it for a moment," he said. "She's from the future...the child of Lucy and Wyatt."
"But they're having a rough patch," Rufus stated. "It's not like they hate each other."
"Are you so sure about that?"
"They love each other."
"Then why did Tenley disappear?" Flynn asked. "And if this was a simple fix, why haven't they made up?"
"Some things take time," Rufus suggested. Flynn sighed. He wasn't convinced and Rufus knew it.
The two walked down the lane, scanning the dark corners of the street searching for signs of Bloodstone or even Rittenhouse. After they walked the length of the main street, Rufus tossed his hands out to his sides in frustration. "Why is it every time we're looking for the crazy evil cultists, they're nowhere to be found?"
"Maybe you're not looking hard enough."
"Maybe you're not look-" Rufus started to repeat. He whirled around to face Flynn. "Wha-"
When Rufus turned around, he saw Flynn's gaze locked onto something further up the road leading out of town towards the dark woods. Upon turning to investigate, he didn't see anything except a couple of kids walking along the lane.
"What are you looking at?" Rufus asked.
"Those kids aren't going to the dance," Flynn pointed out.
"So?"
Flynn inhaled deeply. "We should check it out."
"You mean you actually want to go into the dark spooky woods at night?" Rufus asked. Flynn shook his head as he brushed by Rufus. Rufus followed him asking, "Haven't you ever seen a horror movie?"
Back at City Hall, the dance was in full swing. Wyatt leaned closer to Lucy. "What's the plan here? Ask everyone where Miss Drew is?"
Lucy shrugged. It sounded like a good idea in her head but something told her not to admit that to Wyatt. There was something in his voice that alerted her to the borderline frustration that still lingered.
Wyatt gave a curt nod before turning his gaze back to the crowd. "Great."
Lucy grabbed his hand and pulled gently forward toward the dance floor. "Dance with me."
Despite not wanting to, Wyatt followed her onto the dance floor. Lucy wrapped her forearms around his neck as he placed his hands on her hips. The two slowly swayed to the serene music the live band played. Glancing about with their eyes, they studied those around them.
Lucy leaned closer to Wyatt, closing her eyes briefly to soak in the moment. She missed this closeness with him. She had tried to apologize but he seemed too stubborn to accept it. She wasn't the kind of person to continue to force herself onto someone. If she were to be in a relationship, it had to be mutual.
Wyatt noticed her leaning closer and didn't stop her. If anything, he encouraged it. He turned his head slightly into her neck, inhaling deeply. Her scent was familiar and comforting. He had missed it and his soul craved more.
As they danced, Wyatt asked, "Do you see your Cinderella anywhere?"
Lucy's eyes darted about. She could see a lot of pretty girls but none of them were nearly as beautiful as the blonde she had seen at the General Store. She shook her head. "No."
"Are you sure she was coming here tonight?"
"The man at the General Store said she was," Lucy replied. "She seemed to be excited about it when she picked up her dress..."
Wyatt stopped them and grasped her hand. "Then let's ask around." He pulled her off the dance floor and toward the refreshment table.
The elderly woman running the table had poured them some punch in delicate crystal cups. She passed them over to them.
Lucy smiled as she took the cup. "Thank you."
"It's so lovely to see outsiders join in the festivities," the old woman said with a smile. "How long have you two been together?"
Wyatt smiled as he glanced over to Lucy. "A couple of years now." Lucy returned the smile.
"Young love is a beautiful thing," the old woman sighed.
Lucy cleared her throat. "Speaking of beautiful," she said, placing her cup onto the table. "I was at the General Store earlier this morning and was hoping to find Hazel?"
"Hazel Drew?" the old woman asked. "She's not in any kind of trouble, is she?"
"No, no trouble-" Lucy started to say.
Wyatt interrupted, "Drew? Did you say, Drew?"
The woman nodded. "Miss Drew..." the woman trailed off. "She was here earlier..."
"When did she leave?" Lucy asked.
At the same time, Wyatt asked, "Where did she go?"
The old woman glanced between the two. "She left with her boyfriend maybe twenty minutes ago?"
Wyatt sighed heavily. Lucy asked, "Please, it's important...do you know where they might have gone to?"
"You might want to try the lake," she replied. "It's about fifteen miles from town. The kids like to play in the lake."
Wyatt nodded his thanks, tugging Lucy away from the refreshment table as quickly as he could. Once they were outside City Hall, he turned to her and said, "We just wasted time. Who knows where she is now."
"So we make our way to the lake," she told him. "And hope Flynn and Rufus found something."
The two began making their way down the lane toward the lake.
"Rufus!" Flynn hissed in the dark. "What are you doing?"
"I can't see a thing," Rufus complained. "I think I lost my shoe..."
"You think?"
"I'm fairly certain that I did."
"What?" Flynn scoffed. He wasn't sure he understood how that was even possible.
Rufus hobbled up to Flynn. "My foot got stuck in the mud...I've definitely lost my shoe."
Flynn gritted his teeth, turning his attention away from the one-shoed Rufus. "We're going to lose them if we don't hurry up."
"Easy for you," Rufus complained. "You're not turning into Sam Winchester."
The two carefully navigated through the dark woods. Beyond the sounds of deafening cicadas, they could hear the faint sound of people talking up ahead.
Sneaking stealthily toward the nearest cluster of trees, the two peered around the trunks to see who they had found.
Standing on the edge of the lake were the two individuals they had followed. One was a beautiful young girl and the other was a man dressed in a simple suit.
Rufus whispered, "That's Cinderella."
Flynn blinked at the comment. He shook his head but kept his eyes fixed on the pair. He couldn't make out what was being said over the demanding bugs of the night.
The pair stood close to one another as they stared out across the lake. The moon reflected off the surface, creating a beautiful glow. The lightning bugs added to the surreal effect that lingered.
Rufus patted Flynn on the shoulder before pointing down the road. "Looks like someone's coming." They stared down the lane, watching three silhouetted figures approaching. Rufus muttered, "Three...that's not good."
"Might be Bloodstone," Flynn admitted.
"Where's the fourth?"
Flynn's eyes darted back to the couple by the lake. They had no idea that they had company approaching. He glanced back and forth as the three neared the couple. He reached into his coat, grasping the gun in preparation.
The three stopped a few feet from the couple. When the two turned around, the young woman's eyes widened. She shook her head. "No! I did everything that you asked!"
Rufus tried to hear what the three were saying but couldn't make it out. "What's going on?" Flynn shook his head, straining his ability to hear as he inched closer.
The closer Flynn got, the easier it had become to hear. The man in the front of the three calmly said, "You quit your job, yes, but you did it too early."
"What do you mean?" she asked. "I didn't say anything, I swear!"
The man next to her placed his hand on her shoulder. "Tell them the truth."
"I am!" she shouted.
"He told us differently," the lead man said, motioning to the man next to her.
She whirled around to face him. "What? You're with them?"
"I'm sorry," he tried to say. "I was going to tell you-"
The leader shook his head. "I'm sorry, Hazel. You failed."
She took a step back, slipping on the muddy bank of the lake. Her heels sunk deep in muck and mire. "Wait!"
The suit on the left of the leader stepped up to her, holding a bat.
Rufus glanced over to Flynn. "What are you waiting for?"
Flynn's heart stopped as he saw the terrified look on the girl's face. Memories of Tenley strapped to a chair before disappearing flashed before his eyes. He shook his head, trying to stay focused.
As the man with the bat neared the girl, Flynn realized he had to act fast. He pushed himself out of the darkened forest, gun drawn and aimed at the men before him. He knew that he couldn't hesitate as he pulled the trigger.
The first shot hit the man with the bat, bringing him down. The others were startled and turned to react, reaching for their guns. Flynn turned his aim quickly to them, firing true, bringing them down as easily as he had with the first.
The young man next to the woman raised his hands defensively. "I didn't know they were going to kill her!"
Flynn's grip tightened. His jaw tensed and his eyes narrowed at the boy. He didn't believe him. He sighed, silently praying for forgiveness as he pulled the trigger anyway. The bullet found its mark on the boy's forehead.
The boy's body fell backward into the lake, floating slightly toward the center of the lake.
Flynn lowered his gun, assessing the situation. The girl was sobbing as she struggled to get her heels unstuck. Rufus came out of the woods and asked, "Where did you learn how to do that? The OK Corral?"
Flynn held back a snarky response. He holstered his gun, motioning that he wasn't going to hurt the girl. "Are you all right?"
"What happened? Who are you? Who are they?" she asked between sobs.
"We're the good guys," Rufus explained, extending a hand out to her. "What did they want with you?"
She wiped the tears from her face. "I don't know..."
Rufus helped her out of the mud and back onto solid ground. "You can trust us, you know."
Sounds of rapid footsteps echoed behind them. As they glanced over their shoulders, they spotted Wyatt and Lucy. Wyatt's gun was drawn. His blue eyes darted over those standing before noticing those on the ground. He titled his head to the side. "We heard the shots...what happened?"
The girl met Lucy's gaze. "You're from the General Store," she recalled. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you," Lucy said. "Are you all right?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" she cried.
Rufus muttered, "Probably because you don't look like you are?"
"Why don't you start by telling us why you quit your job suddenly?" Flynn suggested. "Start at the beginning."
The girl sighed heavily. "Five, maybe six days ago, they came to town," she began. "I was working at the seamstress's that day. When they came into the shop, they asked me if I wanted to be famous. I asked what I had to do and the first step was to quit my job with no explanation."
She shifted uncomfortably but continued, "So I quit. They told me that I'd be able to attend the dance with my..." She choked on her sobs as she glanced back across the moonlit lake. "Boyfriend..."
"How long was your boyfriend in town for?" Wyatt asked.
Hazel turned back to Wyatt. "What do you mean?"
"Did he recently move here?"
She shook her head. "No, he grew up here, just like me." The team exchanged worried glances. The exchange didn't go unnoticed by Hazel. "What? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Lucy lied. "Please, continue."
Hazel swallowed before saying, "My boyfriend was supportive of my decision to leave town. He said he had a surprise for me tonight and brought me to our favorite spot..." she motioned vaguely around her. "Guess it's no longer a special place..."
"Did he say why he wanted to bring you out here?" Wyatt questioned. "I mean, you're far from town-"
"Fifteen miles," she said, with a nod. "I know how far out of town we are." After a moment, she added, "I thought he was going to propose to me..."
Flynn watched her for a moment. His eyes narrowed as he studied her body language. He asked, "What aren't you telling us?"
Her blue eyes widened. "I'm telling you everything!"
"I think you're holding something back," he stated. "You don't have to worry anymore. They're dead. You're safe."
Her eyes darted around the group. "I swear-"
"Think hard over their time here," Wyatt said. "Any small detail could be helpful."
It was written on the girl's face. She was uncomfortable. She didn't want to keep talking about it. She looked almost pained to think about having to tell these strangers - strangers who saved her life - everything.
Eventually, her shoulders fell forward. She looked defeated. She wiped the last of the tears from her face. "I...I saw them murder a man."
"When was this?" Wyatt questioned.
Hazel sighed. "Shortly after they offered me the lead role in their production."
Lucy's brow furrowed. "What production was this?"
The girl turned her attention to Lucy. "A silent film called 'Twin Peaks'."
Lucy blinked a couple of times. The team could see the light bulb had finally gone off inside her head. Wyatt knew that they wouldn't be told the significance of her realization until Hazel was well out of hearing range.
Wyatt turned back to Hazel and asked, "Who did they murder?"
She shook her head. "The mayor, I think."
"You think?"
"It happened so fast," she stammered. "I don't know if it was him or someone else."
Wyatt asked, "Has anyone seen him since?"
She shrugged. "I don't know...I was so preoccupied with the dance and-"
"You mean you still wanted to go with them to make their movie after you saw them murder your mayor?" Rufus asked, face contorted in confusion.
She threw her hands out to her sides. "Wouldn't you? If someone had a way out of the small town you felt trapped in, wouldn't you do whatever it took to leave?"
Rufus realized that he had been in her shoes before. He had been desperate to change his life once and felt like doing anything he could to better his life, but murder? Even he had lines he refused to cross.
She shook her head. "I never meant for anyone to get hurt..."
Flynn's gaze had softened. He glanced over his shoulder. No one else was nearing the lake. They were alone. He turned back to the girl. "Where did this murder take place?"
"In the back alley of the shops," she told him.
He nodded. "Then we need to go there and take a look around."
Lucy approached the girl. "We'll escort you home." Hazel nodded as she walked with Lucy.
Wyatt turned to Rufus, eyes drifting down to his feet. "Where's your shoe?"
Rufus hobbled down the lane, next to Wyatt. He mumbled, "The giant mud puddle in the middle of the dark creepy forest demanded a sacrifice. I felt obligated to give it one."
Wyatt chuckled as they headed back to town.
