'I've already told you. I have no enemies. I don't know who could have done something like this.'
It was two in the morning, and Janet sat, shaking, in the police station, drinking from a cup of strong black coffee. A police woman sat down beside her, and put an arm around her shoulders as she collapsed once again into hysterical sobs.
'Janet, it's OK. We're doing everything we can to find Charlie. We just need to know if you can help us in any way.' She paused, allowing Janet to wipe her eyes on a tattered piece of tissue she held clenched in her hand. 'We already know from your baby-sitter that it was a man and a woman who attacked her and took Charlie. Are you sure there's nobody you can think of?'
Janet shook her head, taking another tissue from the box.
'Oh God, Janet!'
Janet looked up. It was Brad. He ran over to her and put his arms round her.
'I came as quickly as I could. I can't believe something like this has happened.'
The police woman looked at Brad.
'You're Charlie's father?' she asked.
'Yes,' replied Brad, just as Janet was saying 'No.' They looked at each other for a moment. Then Brad spoke.
'We're divorced. Charlie's biological father died before he was born. But he's always been a son to me, and always will be.'
The police woman nodded understandingly.
'Well, I can tell you that we've got the whole squad raking the area. We'll find your boy.'
* * * * * * * * *
Not far away, a woman in a black silk night-dress sat idly brushing her mass of red hair. Her eyes were drawn briefly to the TV monitor next to the bed, and she looked sadly at the small blonde boy it showed, cowering in the corner of his room holding a battered old teddy.
'Don't cry, little boy,' she said in a strong foreign accent, putting a thumb to the monitor and gently stroking the picture. 'You'll be much happier back at home with us.'
Magenta's eyes grew misty as she said the word 'home.' She hated being on Earth again. She had wasted five years of her life here before, in the castle with that ghastly Frank N Furter, and she was eager to leave again as quickly as possible. She turned to her brother, who sat behind her polishing a silver weapon.
'We have the boy,' she told him restlessly. 'When do we return to Transylvania?'
Riff Raff carefully put down the laser and stood up. He walked over to his sister and began to gently massage her shoulders.
'Have patience, my most beautiful sister. You know we have other business to do here. Finding this child is really just a bonus.'
Magenta sighed, looking once more at the frightened little boy on the monitor.
'He wants his Mummy,' she said pityingly. 'Was this really necessary?'
Riff Raff shook his head impatiently.
'I've already told you, Magenta. The boy can't stay here on Earth. His father was a product of our own technology. It was my own research which created him, though Furter took the credit himself.'
Magenta nodded.
'Rocky was a triumph to us all,' she agreed.
'If he is allowed to stay here, there will be repercussions,' Riff Raff went on. 'He will not develop as a usual human child. His ageing process will eventually slow down, and he will grow up at a much slower rate, as we do on our planet. People will notice things. No. It is much better that he returns to Transsexual with us. Besides, we will both be greatly rewarded for bringing him home.'
Riff Raff bent down and began to kiss her neck. She pulled away firmly.
'But when will that be? When are we to return?' she persisted.
'Soon, my sister. But first, we must do what we came to do,' he replied. He picked up the laser and began to stroke it fondly. Magenta smiled at him, but as her eyes shifted to the weapon in his hands, a look of concern passed briefly through them.
* * * * * * * * *
Dr. Everett Scott sat idly in his darkened study, listening to an old wireless radio. He closed his eyes as the music surrounded him, and began to hum gently along to the strains of his favourite piece. Just as he was beginning to drift off, he opened his eyes suddenly and sat up. He was sure he had heard footsteps. Reaching out, he switched off the radio and listened intently. Yes, he could hear something. There was somebody climbing the stairs to the study.
'Hello?' he called out. There came no reply. Then the door handle began to turn. Terrified, Dr. Scott backed his wheelchair away from the door as it slowly opened.
'Who's - who's there?' he stammered. He gasped in horror as a figure appeared in the doorway, a gun held in its hand. He raised his hands in the air, staring at the weapon pointing directly at him.
'Dr. Scott,' said the figure. 'How nice to see you again.'
* * * * * * * *
Brad paced impatiently around the police waiting room. Janet lay curled up across a row of seats. Her eyes were closed, but he knew she wasn't asleep. She wouldn't be able to sleep while she knew her son was still out there somewhere.
The door to the waiting room opened, and the same police woman as they had previously spoken with entered the room.
'Mr. Majors, there's a telephone call for you. He says it's urgent.'
Brad thanked her and quickly followed her from the room. Janet opened her eyes and sat up. She picked up a magazine and began to flick through its pages. She was starving, but her stomach was too sick with nerves for her to eat.
A few minutes later Brad came back into the room, looking thoughtful.
'That was Dr. Scott, would you believe it?' he told her. 'He needs us to go to him right away. He didn't say what it was about, but it sounded pretty important.'
Janet stood up.
'Let's go,' she said, grabbing her coat. 'I need to get out of here before I start to go insane.'
* * * * * * * * *
Twenty minutes later, and they had arrived at Dr. Scott's home. They found the front door wide open, and they both hurried inside, surprised.
'Dr. Scott?' called Brad. There was no answer. He ran up the stairs, Janet following closely behind him. There they found the door of the study ajar, and Brad pushed it open quickly. Janet screamed in horror.
In the middle of the room sat Dr. Scott, two bricks jammed under the wheels of his chair. His hands had been tied together, and a piece of tape had been wrapped over his mouth so that he was unable to answer them.
'Oh God!' cried Janet. They both ran to the chair, and Brad began to untie his hands whilst Janet carefully pulled off the strip of tape from around his head.
'Brad, Janet,' gasped the Doctor as soon as his mouth was free. 'Get out now, quickly. It was a trap - she forced me to telephone you, Brad.'
'Who?' asked Janet. Dr. Scott did not reply. His eyes had been drawn to something in the doorway of the study, and he stared in horror. Slowly, Brad and Janet turned to follow his gaze.
'Now that we're all here, I can begin.'
There stood Columbia, a gun in her outstretched hands.
TO BE CONTINUED…
It was two in the morning, and Janet sat, shaking, in the police station, drinking from a cup of strong black coffee. A police woman sat down beside her, and put an arm around her shoulders as she collapsed once again into hysterical sobs.
'Janet, it's OK. We're doing everything we can to find Charlie. We just need to know if you can help us in any way.' She paused, allowing Janet to wipe her eyes on a tattered piece of tissue she held clenched in her hand. 'We already know from your baby-sitter that it was a man and a woman who attacked her and took Charlie. Are you sure there's nobody you can think of?'
Janet shook her head, taking another tissue from the box.
'Oh God, Janet!'
Janet looked up. It was Brad. He ran over to her and put his arms round her.
'I came as quickly as I could. I can't believe something like this has happened.'
The police woman looked at Brad.
'You're Charlie's father?' she asked.
'Yes,' replied Brad, just as Janet was saying 'No.' They looked at each other for a moment. Then Brad spoke.
'We're divorced. Charlie's biological father died before he was born. But he's always been a son to me, and always will be.'
The police woman nodded understandingly.
'Well, I can tell you that we've got the whole squad raking the area. We'll find your boy.'
* * * * * * * * *
Not far away, a woman in a black silk night-dress sat idly brushing her mass of red hair. Her eyes were drawn briefly to the TV monitor next to the bed, and she looked sadly at the small blonde boy it showed, cowering in the corner of his room holding a battered old teddy.
'Don't cry, little boy,' she said in a strong foreign accent, putting a thumb to the monitor and gently stroking the picture. 'You'll be much happier back at home with us.'
Magenta's eyes grew misty as she said the word 'home.' She hated being on Earth again. She had wasted five years of her life here before, in the castle with that ghastly Frank N Furter, and she was eager to leave again as quickly as possible. She turned to her brother, who sat behind her polishing a silver weapon.
'We have the boy,' she told him restlessly. 'When do we return to Transylvania?'
Riff Raff carefully put down the laser and stood up. He walked over to his sister and began to gently massage her shoulders.
'Have patience, my most beautiful sister. You know we have other business to do here. Finding this child is really just a bonus.'
Magenta sighed, looking once more at the frightened little boy on the monitor.
'He wants his Mummy,' she said pityingly. 'Was this really necessary?'
Riff Raff shook his head impatiently.
'I've already told you, Magenta. The boy can't stay here on Earth. His father was a product of our own technology. It was my own research which created him, though Furter took the credit himself.'
Magenta nodded.
'Rocky was a triumph to us all,' she agreed.
'If he is allowed to stay here, there will be repercussions,' Riff Raff went on. 'He will not develop as a usual human child. His ageing process will eventually slow down, and he will grow up at a much slower rate, as we do on our planet. People will notice things. No. It is much better that he returns to Transsexual with us. Besides, we will both be greatly rewarded for bringing him home.'
Riff Raff bent down and began to kiss her neck. She pulled away firmly.
'But when will that be? When are we to return?' she persisted.
'Soon, my sister. But first, we must do what we came to do,' he replied. He picked up the laser and began to stroke it fondly. Magenta smiled at him, but as her eyes shifted to the weapon in his hands, a look of concern passed briefly through them.
* * * * * * * * *
Dr. Everett Scott sat idly in his darkened study, listening to an old wireless radio. He closed his eyes as the music surrounded him, and began to hum gently along to the strains of his favourite piece. Just as he was beginning to drift off, he opened his eyes suddenly and sat up. He was sure he had heard footsteps. Reaching out, he switched off the radio and listened intently. Yes, he could hear something. There was somebody climbing the stairs to the study.
'Hello?' he called out. There came no reply. Then the door handle began to turn. Terrified, Dr. Scott backed his wheelchair away from the door as it slowly opened.
'Who's - who's there?' he stammered. He gasped in horror as a figure appeared in the doorway, a gun held in its hand. He raised his hands in the air, staring at the weapon pointing directly at him.
'Dr. Scott,' said the figure. 'How nice to see you again.'
* * * * * * * *
Brad paced impatiently around the police waiting room. Janet lay curled up across a row of seats. Her eyes were closed, but he knew she wasn't asleep. She wouldn't be able to sleep while she knew her son was still out there somewhere.
The door to the waiting room opened, and the same police woman as they had previously spoken with entered the room.
'Mr. Majors, there's a telephone call for you. He says it's urgent.'
Brad thanked her and quickly followed her from the room. Janet opened her eyes and sat up. She picked up a magazine and began to flick through its pages. She was starving, but her stomach was too sick with nerves for her to eat.
A few minutes later Brad came back into the room, looking thoughtful.
'That was Dr. Scott, would you believe it?' he told her. 'He needs us to go to him right away. He didn't say what it was about, but it sounded pretty important.'
Janet stood up.
'Let's go,' she said, grabbing her coat. 'I need to get out of here before I start to go insane.'
* * * * * * * * *
Twenty minutes later, and they had arrived at Dr. Scott's home. They found the front door wide open, and they both hurried inside, surprised.
'Dr. Scott?' called Brad. There was no answer. He ran up the stairs, Janet following closely behind him. There they found the door of the study ajar, and Brad pushed it open quickly. Janet screamed in horror.
In the middle of the room sat Dr. Scott, two bricks jammed under the wheels of his chair. His hands had been tied together, and a piece of tape had been wrapped over his mouth so that he was unable to answer them.
'Oh God!' cried Janet. They both ran to the chair, and Brad began to untie his hands whilst Janet carefully pulled off the strip of tape from around his head.
'Brad, Janet,' gasped the Doctor as soon as his mouth was free. 'Get out now, quickly. It was a trap - she forced me to telephone you, Brad.'
'Who?' asked Janet. Dr. Scott did not reply. His eyes had been drawn to something in the doorway of the study, and he stared in horror. Slowly, Brad and Janet turned to follow his gaze.
'Now that we're all here, I can begin.'
There stood Columbia, a gun in her outstretched hands.
TO BE CONTINUED…