The lightning clashed, the thunder roared, the wind bashed the trees, the storm was very big. Our group of strangely reunited people had to look for a place to stay. It was getting dark, pretty dark.

"Look, look over there," Paige jumped up and down. "A cave." She was right, a cave, a very big cave.

Everyone's eyes were sparkling with joy. They ran towards the lucky mountain with that lucky cave.

It was a big cave, it had two entrances one on top to the other. The lower entrance was big and gave into a gallery. At the end it had two openings that lead to a central immense gallery. It had intense plateaus, rises, lowerings, stalagmites, stalactites and a small river bordering the edges. Over one of the sides there was an opening leading to the smaller entrance on the top.

"It is so lucky we found it in the nick of time," Hannah said hugging the cave floor.

"This is great, it is perfect to cover us from the hurricane," Jasmine said entering one of the openings at the back. Lee followed her to investigate the rest of the cave.

"What a cave," Miguel observed. "It is taller than our house."

"Hey guys, take a look at this," Lee called from inside.

They all marveled at the site. The great paradise of mother Earth. Many agreed there are no words to describe such a site.

"And look at this, someone was expecting us," Lars said pointing at a fireplace.

Everyone else looked and wandered why there were branches for a fire and for refill. Armando took a closer look.

"Don't worry, it was a custom in several parts of the world to leave a fire place ready for the next traveler that might need it. So there is nothing to worry about."

"This wood doesn't seem that old to me," Josha said taking a look at the wood.

"It doesn't matter, lets start a fire before we die of cold," Moe took out a soaked lighter and leaned to start up the fire. He started it and it instantly fired up very warmly.

SCENE 2

Everyone was talking, joking, imitating the bridge scene and laughing. Outside the storm was so fierce that it had nearly covered the entrance to the cave with fallen trees. This was a great sign for the group, or so Hannah thought, it protected them from any sudden changes in the storm. They were all sited around the fire telling stories at a late hour of the night.

"…so, in ancient times all the people in the world were united. Everybody had two heads, four arms and four legs. They all lived happy with one another until one day when they started to argue. The argues where so intense that many injured their companions. One day that Zeus could no longer stand those fights decided to split them and threw several lightning bolts at them. He succeeded in separating them and they all lived happily again. They all dispersed throughout the world.

"One day the companion felt alone, he needed someone else to speak to, to see and more importantly to love. He asked Zeus to help him find his other half, but Zeus told him that the companion was so far that it could never be done. The companion couldn't believe Zeus and went looking for his half. He needed his half to live and to survive.

"That is why everyone is always looking for their other half," Paige ended her story that left them all atonished.

"That is so romantic," Tatyanna said.

"Now that is a great story," Jasmine concluded.

"See, I am not always a nutcase."

"Well, lets see who's turn is it now," Miguel put his hand inside a bag filled with small papers written with all their names to pick which one of them tells a story now. "And it is…Lina!"

"You know the rules, it must be any type of story PG-11," Ivy said.

Everyone looked towards Lina, she was seating alone at a nearby end facing the walls of the cave.

"Lina, Lina," Jasmine said. "Are you with us?"

"I'm not playing that game," she said.

"Why not? It is very funny," Lee urged her.

"Yeah, and it is the only method of entertainment after TV," Lars said. Everyone just looked at him. "What? It is true."

"Never mind him, Lina, he doesn't know anything about life," Zahyra said.

"I said that I'm not playing that silly game."

"Oh, come on. Be a superstar tonight," Paige concluded.

"No, I said. Can't you people understand, I'm not good at it."

"How do you know you are not good at something without even trying?" Tatyanna said nudging her.

"Maybe she is afraid," Carmen spoke from behind the group. She was seated just like Lina facing the walls, but on the other side. (What a symmetric story, don't you think?)

Silence filled the gallery as they all looked back at Carmen then at Lina. Something was wrong, the air was tensing inside the cave, and they could feel it. Carmen knew how Lina felt, she, herself, was feeling like that and the sooner they start, the sooner they would finish with this.

"Alright then, I will tell a story," Lina turned to face the group, but her sight settled on Carmen's back. Carmen felt the stare and turned to face her.

"Yeah, alright."

"Let it be a spooky one."

"Once upon a time, there was a bad woman," Lina began to tell her story.

'And I know exactly who she is,' Carmen though.

"Not just any bad woman, no, that night she would witness a murder and she won't do anything about it."

"Oh, this is bound to be a great story," Armando said.

"That night she was going to the reunion of the gang she was part of. She liked all the members except one that she would like to see dead," Lina got up. "The gang was celebrating the dawning of a new era. They had completed one of the most important deeds in their realm and threw a big party for all the gangs in the area. Suddenly there was an explosion and chaos broke out," Lina gave a few steps towards Carmen. "The whole hideout was burning down and the police broke in. There were shouts and somewhere a baby was crying. The father of that baby was no other than the one the woman wanted dead," Lina walked a little more towards Carmen. Carmen stood up realizing the challenge. Their eyes were locked at each other's.

"That was a hard time, it was every man or woman to themselves. It was logical she wouldn't help him. He was injured and down on his knees, he couldn't run so he held his child on his hands protecting her from the fire and gunshots. She was near him, but she didn't move to help him, she wanted him dead. The police came towards him and ordered him to surrender. He didn't do it, he wanted to prove his innocence to them all but he hadn't done it yet. The courts had him sentence to death by a crime he didn't commit. The policemen attacked the man. They took the child and started to punch him in every part of his body. She didn't move," Lina walked a little further towards her enemy. "He was nearly unconscious when the woman came up to them, she told them she was an undercover cop and gave her the baby. She walked away only to turn back and see the face of the dying man pleading to see his daughter one last time," Lina raised her hand and closed it, ready for the assault. Carmen's eyes were wet, wet with fury. She wanted to kill that insolent girl, although this was not being seen by the others, she prepared for the battle. "AND SHE LET HIM DIE THERE!" Lina jumped at Carmen, but she dodged. The group wasn't prepared for this sudden commotion and confusion from these two women. But they, reacted soon enough to separate them.

Charlie grabbed Lina by the back, while Jasmine, Tatyanna, and Lee grabbed her arms and legs. She struggled but was contended by them. Hugo, Sara, Lars, Moe and Paige stopped Carmen

"MURDERER!, you are a murderer!" Lina shouted with anger.

"I never killed anyone, nor your father," Carmen responded with equal fury.

"Stop it you two," Ivy stepped between them. "Arguing has never gotten anyone, anywhere."

"Yeah, only Disney in my case," Paige said holding firmly to Carmen's arm. (What in the world is that woman thinking about.)

Everyone fell down unable to comprehend from where in the nine hells did that comment came from.

"Ah, anyway. Like I was saying arguing is not the way to solve a problem," Ivy said from the floor.

"No, but revenge is," Lina tried to get up, but Charlie brought her down.

"I swore on my father's grave that I would avenge him."

"And killing Carmen is the way to it?" Josha asked her.

"Yes, eye for and eye, tooth for a tooth, and life for a life," she was pined down again by Jasmine and Zahyra.

"I would never kill your father," Carmen struggled to free herself from the tight grips of her companions in crime.

"When you saved me from that waterfall, something hurted inside," Lina finally got up but Lee had grabbed her feet. "It was not a broken organ or limb, the pain was much deeper, in the soul," she reached inside her shirt and took out a golden string of something metallic. "It was my heart, my broken heart," she opened her hand and a broken heart medal in a golden string was around it. Carmen looked shocked at it, she would never expect Lina still had that thing. "The broken heart that only my mother could fill. And when she comes back I would tell her who is responsible for my father's death. She will haunt you forever and I will be right beside her," Lina was nearly crying when she said that last thing.

'No, that can't be. Another broken heart, this must be coincidence,' Ivy though.

"If I had the choice to either kill your father and get out alive, or kill myself and he gets out alive, I would choose the second one," Carmen said looking deep into Lina's eyes. She was released form their grip when they realized Carmen wasn't struggling anymore.

"And why should I believe that?" Lina asked her.

"Because I could never live knowing he was murdered, murdered by me," Carmen nearly cried that part she turned away and went inside the hole that conducted to the upper entrance of the cave.

Lina was released from her capture and ran to the entrance of the cave through one of the two holes.

Charlie started to get up to ran after her, but… "Don't," Zack grabbed his arm. "Leave her a moment alone, she needs it."

SCENE 3

Moments later…

"What's up Ivy? What is eating you?" Zack sited besides her.

"Have you had a word with Lina yet?"

"Yes, only Charlie and I have been able to talk to her."

"Did you examine the chain as I told you to."

"Yes, it is half a heart, broken heart. On one side it reads 'My heart will' and on the other side it says 'go on in you.' That is very neat."

"Really!" Ivy couldn't believe her hears. That is the same message that the chain Carmen had said. 'Could it be the matching. No, that can't be. If that is true then what Lina is saying is true. Carmen really was at that fire, but why?'

"Heeellllooooo there, Ivy," Zack waved a hand in front of Ivy's eyes.

"Ah? What?"

"I though I lost you for a sec."

"Come on Zack," Ivy said getting up and walking towards the hole leading to the top cave entrance. "This is something I need your help with."

"But what are you talking about?"

"You'll see, now come with me."

Ivy and Zack climbed to the smaller upper cave. It was dark, but some light was up ahead. When they got to the opening they saw Carmen sitting near the edge on a rock. Outside a wide, and nearly full moon. Not a sound of wind or rain was heard.

"Hey, Ive the storm died down. It is incredible that such a big storm could simply stop like that," Zack said looking blindly at the moon.

"Ssshhhh," Ivy put her finger over her mouth.

To late, Carmen had already heard him. 'These detectives,' she though, 'always ruin special occasions.'

"No Zack," Carmen said in a low voice. "It is only the calm of the eye of a storm. It is only a mater of time before the second part of it come for us." She was right, below the moon you could see, the wall of the eye surrounding the area. For the next fifteen to twenty-five minutes the eye will be passing over them, seeing how defenseless they look.

"Sorry to interrupt your meditation Carmen, but there is something we must talk about," Ivy said in a confronting tone.

"If it is about what I think it is, I told you that that is none of your business."

"It is my business when you are stealing something, Carmen.'

"We have nothing to talk about."

"Oh yes we have, especially about the other half of a broken heart."

"What? What are you girls talking about?" Zack was very confused.

"The chain Zack, the chain," Ivy looked at him.

"Oh, the chain I just checked, Lina's chain," Zack said. "What about it?"

"That Carmen has a chain," Ivy said looking at Carmen.

"So what, Carmen likes some type of jewelry."

"The matching chain."

"The matching chain?" Zack kept silence and thoughtful. "You mean the other half heart. But that is impossible. That would mean she was at that fire, what Lina is saying is true."

"Exactly," Ivy said. "I couldn't believe it myself. Well Carmen you've got a lot of explaining to do." Ivy got out of her pocket a broken heart chain and showed it to Carmen. "I think this is yours."

Carmen rapidly checked her inner coat pocket. It was broken.

"Where did you find it?"

"It fell on the ground."

"Please give it back to me, it is very important."

"Okay," she prepared to give it back, but… "Who's it? How did you ever get it?"

"It is mine and it is none of your concern. Now give it back."

"Of course not," Zack stepped further. "It is Lina's mother half heart. Now, how did you ever get it?"

Carmen tried to grab it, but Ivy got it out of her reach.

"No, no, no," Ivy taunted her.

"Don't taunt me," (I told you so) Carmen was getting furious. "You don't know with who you are dealing with."

"Oh, I know exactly with who I am dealing with."

"I don't care, you will never get out of me anything."

"Oh, yeah," Zack had read his sisters plan and continued it. "And what if we showed this to Lina. What would she think? What would everybody think?"

"Murderer," Ivy finished.

Carmen just stared at them, not knowing what to do.

"Well, I'm going to tell her, excuse me," Ivy turned to leave.

"No," Carmen cried. "Please don't, she doesn't deserve to know."

"Wow, is someone here quick to know what is right," Zack mocked her.

"Start telling, Carmen. We will be listening."

"Sorry, I promised never to tell anyone," Carmen sat down facing the moon.

"Tell what, that you saw someone get killed and then ran away with his child," Ivy said in an angry tone.

"You are good, Ivy. Very good indeed," Carmen smiled to herself.

"And you know very well that neither Ivy nor I will accept a no for an answer," Zack said.

"Yes, I know, but I also know that you will respect the memory of a dead person, don't you?" Carmen looked at them.

"The one that you killed," Ivy said.

"I did not kill him, I…," Carmen stopped to think for a second. She knew the detective will never leave her alone for the rest of this unfortunate vacation. But she knew that this story was rated R. "I don't even know who did it."

"So, you were there," Ivy was shocked.

"And what else. You know that that chain will put you in bad eyes and mouths. Your reputation will be ruined if the world's greatest thief is accused of murder in third degree. What would ACME think? What would VILE think?…. What will Chief think?" Zack knew that was Carmen's weak spot.

'He was right, very right. But the truth would mean I must face my past, the past I've been running away for so long. No, I can't give away my greatest secret only because of a string of bad luck. Thanks a lot Hannah. So what, I am a criminal, if they ever caught me I would be judged by that. ACME is a detective agency, detectives come across this type of cases all the time. VILE is a criminal agency a murder is nothing new in the Mafia world. And Chief… but Chief… he had to mention Chief. He would be so disappointed at me. I don't want to hurt him more than what I have.

"Oh, I give up," Carmen threw her hands in the air and turned to face them. "But you must promise to never tell this to anyone, not ACME detectives, not VILE villains, not Lina and especially Chief."

"And why?" asked Zack settling down on another rock.

"You'll see why. But, please, promise me. This is very serious matter and is my most secret of secrets."

"Don't worry, we will keep quiet, Carmen," Ivy settled down besides Zack.

Carmen sighted and faced the moon again.

"Well, are you going to tell us the story," Ivy extended the chain towards Carmen. Carmen looked at her. "Or are we going to tell it for you."

"Okay, okay. Let me enter in character."

End of Chapter 6