The Leprechaun's Lair
By: Me
*Chapter 1*
Fi pulled away from Clu at last, smiling. They heard footsteps outside her and Annie's tiny room on the bus.
"Quick hide!" breathed Fi quickly. She stuffed him into the tiny closet. Annie walked into the room.
"Hey Fi,can I borrow one of your shirts for Molly's concert tonight?" Annie asked.
"Um, sure which one do you want? I can get it for you." Fi said quickly, moving in front of the closet.
"Silly, I want to look for myself to see which one." Annie pushed Fi aside and opened the closet. Fi closed her eyes tight and crossed her fingers, but it was to late.
"Ahh!" Annie yelped in surprise when she saw Clu hiding in the closet. "You scared me! What are you doing in there?"
"Um," Clu said thinking fast."I'm hiding from the folks, you know, I had a paper due last week and I kinda forgot about it."
"From last week? Hiding when we're all in a small tour bus?" Annie asked suspiouscly.
Molly entered the room. "Did I hear someone scream?" she asked.
"Uh, Hi Miss P." Clu said stepping out of the closet."I um, better go see what my dad wants." He practically ran out of the room.
"What his dad wants? Huh?" Molly asked.
"Uh, never mind,"Fi said quickly."What did you want?"
"Oh, I just came back here to tell Annie that I wanted to perform 'One in A Million' tonight, What do ya say Annie?" Molly explained.
"Wow sure!" Annie said."Common lets go rehearse it!" Molly and Annie left the room.
"Whoa, that was a close one." Fi said out loud to herself. She smiled remembering the first time Clu confessed his feelings for her. Sitting on her bed she remembered............
(Start of flash-back)
It was a few weeks after she had decided to come back on tour with them. She missed her Mom and Jack, she missed Irene, Ned, and Carey, and she even missed Annie. But she never realized how much she would miss Clu. When she was at her Aunt Melinda's & she would be working on homework or playing a game, her thoughts would all drift back to Clu. His goofy personality, his sweet,caring, smile, and how he would stand up for her and believe in whatever she believed, and he would help her try to convince Jack. Clu, she had never thought of him other than her best friend. But more and more as the days grew longer at Aunt Melinda's she would find herself daydreaming about him. First it was normal, him coming on adventures with with her but then she'd dream of kissing him. She then realized that she had feelings for him. That night,everyone was inside the club getting ready for a concert except Fi and Clu. Clu had gotten a new skate-board and he wanted to try it out. Fi wrapped her jacket more tightly around her as Clu skated up to her.
"Do you want to try?" He asked her with a glint of warmth in his eyes.
"Uh, well," Fi blushed slightly."You're gonna have to help me cuz I'll probably fall off."
"Sure." Clu helped her onto the board. He put his arm around her waist. Fi felt her face go red. Clu glided her slowly along the sidewalk. All of a sudden she lost her balance. Clu caught her just in time.
"Thanks Clu." Her voice was low and sweet. She faced him and looked him in the eye.
"Fi." Clu said and for the first time he looked serious. "Fi, I really missed you when you were gone. I mean really. Oh Fiona I just have to say it. I love you."
Fi couldn't believe her ears. Clu just stood there. Now he was blushing.
"Clu, I love you too." Fi said quietly.
They both looked at each other un-sure what to do, until Fi reached up and kissed him. He kissed her back. At last they broke apart and walked inside the club, agreeing to keep their romance a secret.
(End of Flashback)
*Chapter 2*
Fi got up and went out of her room. She found Annie, Jack, and Clu in the kitchenette.
"Hey the ruler of the little green people finally came out of hibernation."
"Quit it." Fiona said automatically. She sat down next to Clu.
"Hey Fi," Annie said getting up. "Can I use your laptop?"
"Sure." Fi replied.
"Uh, I need to use it too." Jack said quickly and followed Annie into her room.
Fi almost laughed out loud.
"Did you see Jack? It's so obvious that he likes her, I mean he follows her around like a little puppy!"
"Yeah." Clu glanced around to see that no one was looking and kissed her quickly.
****************************************************************
"Can you be any more obvious?" Annie practically screamed.
Jack had a cute baby-like pout on his face.
"I just wanted to be with you." he said sadly.
Annie's face broke out into a grin. She pulled him closer to her and gave him a long passionate kiss.
"It's so hard to stay mad at you." she said softly.
"Hey Annie!" Carey's voice echoed outside the room.
Annie scrambled over to the computer and began logging on looking as if she'd been there the whole time. Carey entered the room.
"Hey get your flute - we're here and the band wants to practice."
"Okay." Annie said.
She, Carey, and Jack got off the bus. Annie and Carey followed Molly, Irene, and Ned inside the club. It was about 6:00 pm and since it was March, it was still light outside.
"Hey guys." Jack came running up to Fi and Clu. "Lets go check out that little kid's playground." He motioned over to a small playground in the distance.
"Okay" Fiona said as she checked her watch. "We have 2 hrs. till show time!"
"I'll race you guys!" Clu said and took off running.
Walking slowly Fi and Jack laughed and followed him. Slowing down Clu looked back at them and said "You two are no fun!" He pouted. Ohhhh, he looks so cute like that! Fi thought. Grabbing Clu's hat, she took off running.
"Oh yeah? Try and catch me!"
"Hey!" Clu shouted and ran after her.
Jack just stood there awhile. He had a strange feeling about Clu and Fi, but he couldn't figure out what it was. shaking the feeling off he walked after them.
*Chapter 3*
When Jack finally arrived at the playground, Clu was pushing Fi on a swing. Fi was wearing Clu's hat. Jack still had the feeling that something was different. He sat on a swing next to Fi.
"What's wrong Jack?" Fi asked.
"Huh?" He answered.
"You look like something is wrong." Fi said.
" Ah, no it's nothing." He answered.
"Wow! Cool look at that slide!" Clu said "It must be at least 12ft. tall!" He motioned over to a bright green slide at the edge of the playground.
"I don't remember seeing that, do you guys?" Jack asked.
"Come to think of it ..... no." Fi answered.
That's weird Fi thought, Surely we had've seen it from the bus, because it was so tall...., Man! she wished she had her laptop. But what would she type in? Appearing slides?Clu and Jack would think she was crazy. Maybe we just missed it. But Fiona knew that wasn't the answer. She didn't want the boys thinking she was crazy - though the probably already did. She thought back to 6mo. ago when she gave up her gift. But now more and more through some mysterious force she felt it coming back.
"Let's go check it out !" Jack said breaking through her thoughts.
"Okay." Fi and Clu both said.
They followed Jack to the slide.
"I'll go first." Clu climbed the towering stairs. "Wow, hey guys this slide even has glowing green lights! Sweet!" Clu said as he slid down the covered slide.
Only something was wrong. He didn't come out.
"Clu!" Fi called getting scared.
Then it hit her. The slide, it's height, the glowing green light, appearing out of nowhere. She'd heard this before. Fi looked up in time to see Jack sliding down the slide calling "Hey man are you stuck?"
"No! Jack don't!" She screamed but he'd already disappeared. She felt the tears well up in her eyes. She remembered reading an e-mail Gabe had sent to her. Gabe found it on the internet and since it was about "Weird Stuff" she forwarded it to Fi. Fi wept silently to herself as she remembered the letter.
*Chapter 4*
(Letter)
Hey Fi What's Up?
I found an article I think you'd like. It's about "Weird Stuff." Well I got to go. Meet me in the chat room at 7pm. Talk to you later.
-Gabe-
FW: The little green men. Pots of gold. This is all false descriptions of Leprechauns. Leprechauns are mean and nasty, true they are midgets. Leprechauns only appear once every 5 years. They lure people to their world by using a time-machine like devise, disguised as anything such as a pool, slide, or swing. These devises MUST be high off the ground. Usually they appear out of nowhere. The devise produces a bright glowing green light which lures people into his trap. The leprechaun traps people to steal their souls. This keeps the leprechaun alive. Usually people don't come back alive. The ones that do wander the earth forever without a soul.
(End of letter)
Fi remembered reading on and on. The article never told her how to defeat a leprechaun. Sniffing, she decided she had to do something. Fiona got up slowly and climbed the slide steps. Looking down she could see the bottom steps disappearing. I guess the leprechaun didn't want me to follow them she thought climbing quicker. Her father's ring that Annie had given back to her burned against her skin. Fi reached the top of the slide, looked once into the green lights and slid down to find Clu and Jack.
~meanwhile @ the club~
Molly stopped singing abruptly. Her ring burned her thumb, but for only a second. Before she knew what happened, the pain was gone.
"What's the matter Mol ?" Irene asked concerned.
"Uh, it's nothing." Molly said shaking it off. She continued to sing:
'When you made me say I was ice'
'Said you were the warmth to thaw me'
'Now I'm to broken to pay the price'
'The secret to love'
'The secret to love is not origami....'
Annie took a sip of her soda. She watched Molly sing. Carey came up and sat beside her.
"Hey Annie, do you know where Jack, Fi and Clu went? It's 7:30" Carey asked.
"I don't know, I'm sure they'll be back soon." Annie answered and continued to watch.
Carey scooted closer to Annie.
"Hey you sung really good earlier." He said.
"Thanks." Annie replied.
"Hey Annie, will you go out with me?" Carey asked suddenly.
"Carey I," Annie stopped taken aback, she couldn't tell Carey about Jack - or could she?
"Can I tell you something?" She asked.
"Yeah, I guess so." Carey said confused.
"I'm going out with Jack.Please don't tell anybody. But we can still be friends." Annie looked at him hopefully.
"Wow. You're going out with Jack? Yeah I guess we can still be friends." Carey got up. He was deeply hurt but he wasn't going to show that to Annie.
"Talk to you later." He said and walked off.
Annie sighed. I really hope I didn't hurt his feelings she thought. Upset she sat back to watch Molly.
*Chapter 5*
Fiona felt like she was flying. But the feeling didn't last long. She was thrown to the ground so hard she thought she heard her bones break. Gingerly Fi got up slowly putting her weight on both feet. She looked around and gasped. She couldn't believe what she saw. The ground was hard and nothing but damp dirt. The moss covered walls were also dirt and damp. Fi jumped as a drop of water hit her head.
"Ew!" she said looking up at the moldy ceiling.
Drip. Drip. Moving away from the drip, Fi saw two tunnels at the end of the room.
"Oh great, now which one to I go in?" she said aloud to herself.
"Ouch!" she yelped.
Her ring was burning again, only this time it was glowing.
"Ow! Ow!" she screamed and finally managed to get it off. It fell to the ground, right in front of the left tunnel.
"Daddy? You want me to go in this tunnel?" Fi whimpered.
The dirt squished under her shoes as she made her way over to her ring. She picked it up and put it back on her thumb. Shivering, she walked into the tunnel before she could change her mind.
~meanwhile 7:57pm @ the club~
"Well you guys there has to be something wrong, they wouldn't miss my concert!" Molly insisted.
Irene, Ned and Annie all looked at Molly shrugging.
"We don't know what happened, we can't jump to conclusions."
Irene said sensibly.
Carey came running up to them.
"Ms. P" he said, just how Clu would've, "The audience is waiting."
"Alright Carey. I'll have to go on with the show - just let me know if anything happens."
"We will." Ned said reassuringly.
Molly, Carey and Annie walked on stage.
'What are the chances'
'There'd be you and me'
'There is no might have been'
'I say it's destiny.....'
The music echoed through the club, as Irene walked over to Ned.
"Clu's in so much trouble!" she growled.
Ned just shook his head. He was worried, this wasn't like them - not telling anyone where they were going. Frowning ned sat down to watch the concert.
~Back at Leprechaun's World~
Carefully Fi continued into the pitch black tunnel.
"Ouch!" She'd stubbed her toe.
More slowly she continued. Pictures flashed in her mind of Jack and Clu. All the good times they had together. I really hope he hasn't stolen their souls yet. Then she realized she was going into this blind. She didn't know the first thing about Leprechauns or what to do. She felt tears sting her eyes. No! Fi decided that she couldn't cry about it - she had to do something. Just then she saw a light at the end of the tunnel. Fi felt herself going hysterical as she laughed out loud. This was kind of like that song her mom sang.
Aloud she sung to herself:
'Just when I thought I lost my sight'
'In the darkness is the light'
'I catch a glimpse of that beautiful light'
'In the darkness is the light'
'In the darkness is the light'
'Surrender will win the fight'
Fiona stopped suddenly. "Surrender will win the fight"
"Oh, so I should I give up now?" she shouted into the darkness. The hysteria had set in. But when she felt her ring burn again she snapped out of it. Taking a deep breath of moldy air she stepped into the lighted room.
*Chapter 6*
~Club 10:30pm~
"That's it guys! I'm calling the police." Molly said and took Irene's cell phone. The concert had been over for a half hour and Fi, Jack and Clu weren't back yet. Wrapping herself up in a blanket, Annie walked over to Carey with tears streaming down her face.
"I can't believe it." she told him numbly. " it's like they were here one minute and gone the next. What if they were kidnapped? They must be starving or they could've gotten hurt....." Annie rambled on. Sighing Carey leaned back against his chair. Seeing Annie like this was deeply upsetting.
"Look Annie, no one in their right mind would kidnap them, Jack and Clu are strong - they could've fought off anyone." he continued,
"They are probably off somewhere having fun and lost track of time." Carey finished.
Sobbing Annie answered,
" Jack? No, something must have happened, Jack would never be this careless, unless he's out with another girl!" Annie gasped this thought had never hit her before. Carey couldn't help laughing. He pulled Annie into as hug.
"He's not cheating on you Annie." He couldn't stop laughing. Carey got up.
"It'll be alright." He said and walked off to find his dad.
Annie stopped crying and sat down, thinking about nothing but Jack's safety.
~Leprechaun's World~
The light blinded her. Slowly she got used to it. Fi looked around. This room was much different - the whole celing seemed to be covered in one big light, that's why it was so bright. There was old ragged blue carpet on the floor and peeling dusty wallpaper on the walls. Two separate cages lie in the room. One held Jack and the other Clu. Both boys were unconscious. Fiona ran over to her brother.
"Jack!Wake up!" she yelled.
"He won't wake up to your mortal call." a voice boomed over her.
Fi gasped and turned around.
"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" She screamed (The well known line) to the room.
"I've been waiting for you." the voice answered.
The voice seemed to come out of nowhere. No one was in the room with her.
"Who, who are you ?" Fi repeated.
"A Leprechaun." was the answer.
"Let them go please!" Fiona pleaded.
Suddenly a strong force knocked her off her feet. Rubbing her head, Fiona sat up. a small man in a shrunken green suit appeared.
"I need them." he said.
"Isn't there any other way to keep you alive?" Fi asked.
"Fiona Phillips." The leprechaun said, "I've heard about you.You'd do anything for your brother and boyfriend - right?"
"Yes, I would." Fi answered. "But what does this have to do with keeping you alive by taking our souls?" She questioned.
"Who said anything about me?" he answered. "I've already had a soul to fulfill my 5 years. Actually, I have 4 years and 299 days left." He grinned.
Fiona flinched.
"Then what do you want with us?" Fi asked quietly.
"With us?" He repeated. "I want you.Jack and Clu were just bait to make you come here." He went on, " Here's what I propose. If I let your friends go free, unharmed back to your world then you will stay here with me - at least until I can sell you to my master."
"What?" said Fi unbelievingly.
"You heard me. My master wants you stopped, he knows your getting your gift back.I'll leave you with approximately 2 hours to make your decision."
And with that the door to the room bolted shut and the leprechaun disappeared.
*Chapter 7*
~10:45pm The Club~
"Alright, I'll need height, weight, eye color......." the policeman continued to talk to Molly, Irene, and Ned. Carey and Annie sat close by watching.
"Okay, now I'm starting to worry." Carey confessed to Annie.
"I just don't believe it. Where are they?" Annie sighed.
"I wish I knew." Carey replied.
"Well guys," Molly said coming over to them. "We'll have to go wait on the bus. The police are investigating, and they'll call us if they find anything." she walked away.
The teens got up and exited the club. As Carey and Annie walked into the bus, Carey shrieked with delight,
"We've been so stupid! Look here's a note from Fi!" He read it aloud.
"
"The playground!" Annie repeated. "What if they are still there, only they're like hurt or something?"
Annie and Carey raced off the bus. They ran up to Ned, Irene, and Molly.
"Hey can we go check it out?" Carey asked after they'd read the letter.
"Sure, take the cell phone and call if you find them. We'll stay here." Molly answered.
"Great!" Annie said.
Her and Carey took off running. Irene just sighed. Annie and Carey arrived at the playground. Dissapointed Carey said,
"Man, they aren't here."
Using the flashlight she brought, Annie searched the area.
"Hey Carey, lookie here, there seems to be some sort of scruffle over by this slide." Ignoring Annie, Carey said,
"Hey, that's a cool slide!" He climbed the steps.
"Carey!" yelled Annie,
"We are supossed to be looking for them, not playing!"
But Carey didn't listen to her. He slid down the slide. But he didn't come out - just like the other's before him.
"Carey?" Annie said.
"Carey - this isn't funny!"
Then what she saw made her drop her flashlight and the cell phone. A bright green light calling to her. As in a trance, she followed it and slid down the slide.
~Locked Room~
Fi sighed and looked around. There was no way out and the boys were slowly coming to. What would she tell them when they woke up? Jack would never believe that they were in a leprechaun's lair, she didn't know, maybe Clu would. Like most of her weird adventures she was in danger. But this time she had absoulutly no way out.
"Fi?" she heard Clu's voice call.
"Hey, what happened." He asked.
"Okay Clu this may sound weird but......." Fi explained all that had happened so far.
"Wow man that's totally awsome - but do you think you could let me out?"
"No, Clu sorry - I don't have the keys." But Fi continued.
She told him what she had been dreading to tell him - about her being sold to the leprechaun's master.
"..... and I only have 1 hour and 25 minutes left." she finished.
"I'll stay here!" Clu immeaditatly suggested.
"I love you too much to let anything like that happen to you."
Suddenly Jack interupted Clu.
"Where am I?"
Sighing Fi told the whole story over again to Jack, leaving out the part about her getting sold.
*****************************
Annie flew through the air landing on Carey.
"Ouch!" Carey yelped.
"Sorry!" Annie replied.
They got up.
"Whoa, this is where they went." Carey said.
"Yeah," agreed Annie
"I bet Fi's loving this!"
"Hey look! Two tunnels." Carey pointed.
"Look, Fi's footprints lead into the left one."
They followed Fi's footprints until they came to a door. Annie tried it.
"It's locked." she announced.
"Here we go." Carey lifted the bolt.
They opened the door and walked into the room.
"Annie! Fi! Carey! Clu! Jack!" there was a mixture of voices.
"Get us out of here and tell us what really happened - Fi's story is bogus!" Jack exclaimed.
Ignoring Jack Fi told Annie,
"I'll explain later, we are in a leprechaun's lair and we need to get out - we're all in terrible danger."
"Come on Fi!" Jack practically screamed.
"I can't believe you, making up stories when obviously - I don't know how, but we got kiddnapped, by some weirdo......"
Jack and Fi continued to fight until Carey shouted,
"Okay guys, this is getting us nowhere! No matter where we are, how we got here, or why we're here - we've got to get out!"
Everyone was silent. Then at last Jack spoke up,
"I guess you're right. Sorry sis - but I still don't believe you."
"Who cares?" Clu whinned.
"How are Jack and I going to get out?"
Before anyone could answer, Fi's ring started to burn again.
"Oh no! Not again!" Fi yelled.
"Ow! Ow!"
The others stared at her in silence. Fi pulled off the ring and watched as in her hand it transformed into a key.
"Daddy?" Fi whispered weakly.
Blinking back tears, she tried the key in Jack's cage then Clu's. It fit both times. Then before her eyes it transformed back and fit snuggly on her thumb.
"Thank you." Fi whispered.
Turning to the rest of the teens she smiled and said,
"Let's go."
Somehow Fi knew it would be alright.
*Chapter 8*
Confused, the five teens continued out of the tunnel. Annie held Fi back and whispered to her,
"Hey Fi, I believe what you said about the leprechaun - but how do we get transfered back?"
"I have no clue." Fi confessed.
"I just hope it's automatic or something."
The boys had gone ahead, leaving Annie and Fi alone.
"No such luck!" A voice boomed and with a flash of light the leprechaun appered in front of them.
"You missy," He said pointing to Fi,
"are coming with me. We had a deal."
"No we didn't, I never agreed to anything - Run!" she shouted.
Annie and Fi pushed past the leprechaun and caught up to the boys.
"Run!" the screamed breathlessly and reached the end of the tunnel.
They turned and ran down the right tunnel. After a mile of weezing, stumbling and gasping for breath they reached another room. Slamming the door shut, Carey bolted it behind them. The teens fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
"What on earth?" Jack said finally looking up.
The room, everything but the floor was all mirrors.
"Oh my gosh!" Annie cried at the same time.
The only problem with these mirrors were - they were not really mirrors. In the mirrors were reflections of many places.
"Wow." Carey said.
"Don't touch a thing." Fi warned.
Somehow she knew what to do. She looked all around the room and found what she was looking for. The playground.
"Okay guys, here's what we have to do. We have to run through this wall. It will get us back to the playground."
Murmurrs of "no ways" and "are you crazys" filled the room. Until in a poof of light, the leprechaun appeared again.
"Thought you'd get away huh?" He laughed.
"To bad your friends don't believe."
"Annie! Grab Carey and lets go!" Fi shouted as she grabbed Clu and Jack and ran through the mirror.
Fiona landed hard on top of Clu and she saw Jack rolling off to the side.
"Oww!" she heard Jack holler as Annie and Carey landed on top of him.
Fi rolled off of Clu and pulled herself up. Clu looked at her and burst out laughing.
"What?" Fi asked.
"Your hair." was all that he managed to get out through the laughter.
Fiona felt her hair. It was messy. She smoothed it back and pushed Clu. But instead of shoving her back, Clu grabbed her and kissed her. Eagerly she kissed him back.
"What the...." Jack asked as he saw them kissing.
They pulled apart.
"I guess we have a lot of explaining to do huh?" Fi asked.
Annie laughed and walked over to them. Kissing Jack she said.
"so do we, Carey knows."
Carey just stood there frowning, until he jokily said,
"Great guys, leave me all alone."
"Aww, does baby Carey need a group hug?" Clu asked.
Laughing they all ran to Carey hugging him.
"Fi! Jack! Clu! Annie! Carey!" Molly's voice broke out.
"O M G ! you're all okay!" she ran over to the five teens, inspecting them head to toe. Irene and Ned ran over.
"You had us so worried!" Ned cried.
"Yes, and you've got a lot of explaining to do." Irene said.
Pulling away from the group hug Jack asked,
"Where did that slide go?"
All of the teens looked around frowning. the slide had dissapeared. Fi and Annie looked at each other and smiled.
"Let's hope it's gone for good." Fi whispered to her.
Annie nodded in return.
********************
~Molly Phillips tour bus- Rest stop~
1:30am
"Well guys I'm glad you're back safe - but I'm going to bed." Molly told them.
"Me too." Irene agreed.
"Can we use your girl's beds?" she asked.
"Sure." Annie and Fi replied.
They left the kitchenntee. Carey and Ned had gone striat to bed in the boy's room when they got back to the bus.
Clu wrapped his arms around Fi and they layed down together on the long couch/chair like seat in the kittchenette. Across from them Annie and Jack did the same. The last thing Fi remembered before drifting off to sleep was the feel of Clu warm arms wrapped tight and protectedly holding her, and for the first time that night, she could relax.
The End