Hey guys, here's Chapter three. Enjoy ^-^

Macey's Dead

I wait anxiously in the lobby to get to the front desk and show them the pass. The penguin at the desk waves me through and then I walk through the back door. As I walk down the hall, I stare in wonderment at the awesome police life. The convicts. The police. The doughnuts.

"Cheyenne!" A voice calls out, "You came?"

I nod and Rick gives me a small tour of the facility. Rick grins at seeing my eager eyes.

"So do you want to be a police penguin?" He teases.

I look at him and shake my head.

"You know as well as I do that my life is dedicated to surfing," I object.

We both laugh before heading down to the lab. When we got there, another penguin is using the machine.

"Hey Jules," Rick greets here. "This is my friend, Cheyenne."

I look at Rick in shock.

"This is Julia713?!" I exclaim, excited.

The purple penguin turns and smiles. She's wearing a lab coat and her blonde hair hung loose down her shoulder. Rick confirms with a nod and a smile.

"Hi guys," Julia713 greets. "I'll be done in just a minute."

She turns her attention back to the machine. I look at Rick. He looks back at me. I smile. He smiles back. Then I punch him gently on the shoulder.

"Say it" he prompts, knowing full well why I'm excited.

"I FINALLY GET TO MEET YOUR GIRLFRIEND!? AHHHH!" I yell, "man, she's perfect for you!"

Julia713 finally finishes and then we chat.

"So this is the Cheyenne21 that Rick's been talking about?" She asks. "Nice to meet you."

My smile fades and I peer at Rick4983.

"What did you tell her?" I ask him, "you better not have told her about..."

"Have something to drink," Julia713 offers. "I promise that there's no spiders in it."

I freeze and then growl.

"Rick4983!" I shout.

I punch him in the arm. Julia713 laughs as the scene unfolds. When we finally calm down, Rick explains to me how the machine works. I take off the bracelet and then places it in the machine. Julia713 looks at the monitor for the readings.

"Approximately three 3 months ago" she reads.

Julia713 looks at Rick and they seem to have a silent conversation.

"It's possible," she admits.

"Yeah," Rick agrees.

"What is?" I ask.

As if remembering I'm in room, Rick fills me in.

"have you ever heard of a penguin named Macey490?"

"Yeah, why?" I ask.

"Oh so you know about that she disappeared about three years ago in December. Reports say that she was last scene at a celebration party in the Club Penguin Times Newsroom." He recalls, "and that the case was closed a year later presuming she had died."

I nod my head slowly.

"I remember," I confirm. "All those missing posters and the newspaper articles."

That's when I fit the pieces together.

"Oh...so you think this bracelet is hers?" I conclude.

I walk over and take the bracelet off the machine.

"We should...probably keep that," Julia713 informs.

I look at the bracelet in my fin.

"I know what you're thinking." Rick states, "But you just can't keep it."

"I wasn't going to," I protest.

Rick sighs.

"Listen whatever reason Macey490 disappeared and that intruder that broke into your house, they are connected." He says.

"Exactly and..."

"And it's dangerous" he adds, interrupting my protests. "You need to let the...more experienced penguins who have the know how in this type of case."

"Leave it to the professionals you mean," I mutter.

Rick puts out his hand but I stand there frozen.

"Cheyenne.:

I look at the bracelet. What should I do? I look back at Rick. For some reason or another, something is nagging at me. I look back at the bracelet, then I put it back on my wrist.

"You said she was dead, case closed" I answer. "But I still intend on finding the owner of this bracelet whether dead...or alive."

Cheyenne21!" Rick calls out to me as I run out of the room.

I finally arrive at the Pizza Parlor where I realize I didn't have work today. I sit at a table and I begin to think about what I should do next. In fact I'm so deep in thought that I don't realize someone's talking to me until they tap me on the shoulder.

"Maxie?" I say, recognizing the red penguin.

"Listen, I don't know who you are or how you know about me." He informs, "but I must have that bracelet. It...it belongs to someone I know...someone...dear to me."

The penguin sits down at the seat across from me. His face searching mine with a desperate plea.

"Maxie?" I repeat, "why? Who is this penguin?"

He looks at me with a broken heart but doesn't answer. I take a deep breath.

"Is it..." I start to say. "Does this bracelet belong to..."

I look at the penguin sitting before me and I know that the answer is yes.

"Macey490?"

The words seem to turn the whole place still, as if Maxie and I are the only ones in the world..

"Where is..."

Maxie breaks out of the daze first and abruptly stands up. His face looks as if he's seen a ghost. He rushes out of the Pizza Parlor before I even finish my question. Where is Macey490?

I just sit there, frozen. Then finally the spell breaks. I blink and without a word, I walk out of the pizza parlor.

I didn't go to work the next day or the day after that. I called in sick. I stay home, watching tv and reading magazines. I think Sky is worried about me but I assure her that I'm fine. His face though...I toss around in bed. He seemed really spooked. It sort of scared me...it was like I could read his mind.

There's a knock on the door but I ignore it. The knocking continued, still ignoring it, Sky answers the door.

"Cheyenne21?" A penguin exclaims, walking towards me. "What's wrong? Did something happen to you?"

I lift my head from my pillow to see Rick standing over me.

"Go away!" I groan and then fall back onto my fluffy pillow.
Rick puts his fin to my forehead.

"You don't have a fever" he says, more to himself.

Rick looks around and then comes to a somewhat accurate conclusion.

"You're not sick either," he mutters. "have you eaten anything since I last saw you?"

I turn my head so that he can't read my thoughts. He sighs. Then I hear him walk away. I turn back to peek at him. He's in the kitchen with a grocery bag in his hand. Next thing I know, Rick's making my favorite soup, chicken noodle.

Rick returns to my room with a tray, holding a bowl of soup.

"Sit up and eat!" He orders.

I mumble in protest as he sets the tray down.

"I said 'go away" I snap.

Rick shakes his head.

"Not until you eat all your soup," he informs.

I groan in frustration.

"You're so stubborn!" I yell, "why can't you just leave me alone? I don't need your help! I don't need you to take care of me! I'm not thirteen anymore!...Just...GO AWAY!"

Rick just watches me silently and lets me yell some more.

"Why don't you just go ahead and be with your girlfriend already? I mean seriously am I really that much of a burden to you? I...hate you! Just leave already!"

I look over to see Rick, still listening to me.

"Are you done?" He asks.

I let out a big sigh. Rick hands me the tray and I begin to eat.

"Whatever that penguin said to you must have really gotten you all wound up."

"What?" I exclaim in surprise, "how did you..."

Rick flashes me his police badge.

"Oh..." my voice falters.

My guess is that Rick probably watched the whole scene play out through the security footage at the Pizza Parlor. I silently continue to eat my soup. It's so nice and warm, just the right pinch of flavor too. He always gets it right.

"So Cheyenne21," he starts to say. "About the other day...I started to think about what you said."

What I said? What did I say? What did I say?! Rick walks out of my room and then comes back with his messenger bag. He slowly dumps out its contents. It's a bunch of folder dividers, stacked full of papers.

"Rick, what is all of this?" I ask, opening one of the folders.

That's when I see a photo of a bright eyed peach-colored penguin staring back at me. The penguin is smiling as if they had no care in the world.

"That's Macey490," Rick exclaims pointing to the photo.

I move the picture away and began to read the first part of the page.

"Case file BFC927, the disappearance of Macey490." I continue, my voice starts to waver. "On Decemeber 1, 2012, Macey490 was at a party at seven o'clock p.m. The party was to celebrate Macey490's successful article that made international headlines. One of Macey490's friends, who requested to remain anonymous, informed us that she had left two hours into the party and had not returned to work the following day. The police checked Miss Macey490's igloo but she was not home and all of her puffles were gone. [3]. The police suggests her friends prepare for the worst. It's been nearly two and a half yeas now, Macey490, if alive, had not contacted anyone or been seen around. January 20, 2015, Macey's family has requested that we remain searching for her. However, we are finding it difficult to find any new leads. The trail is going cold. March 5, 2015, Macey490 is dead. A body was found, washed up on the shore. It has been identified as Macey490. There are some protests that she may still be alive, but that's to be expected when anyone is grieving. Case Closed."

Well that's it then. Macey490 is dead...or is she? What do you guys think? Could the bracelet really belong to Macey490? Did she leave some sort of message or clue behind about her why she disappeared? Find out Tuesday, September 5th!

RR:

Steven2Desmond. CommSylveon2930- You came up a really good theory.