Chapter 9 The final meeting
When they arrived in front of the squat, it was already 10:15. Still, Stanton and Cassandra slid out of the car with ease and walked to the front door of the squat. Stanton looked around and realized that there were three other cars there.
Up ahead, he spotted Kelly, Tymmie, Yvonne, Murray, and Karyl. And Chris was in the middle. Cassandra spoke first, "Sorry that we're late Chris. It wasn't his fault though, I gave him a wrong time." She studied the faces around them.
"What have we been brought here for?" Stanton asked, annoyed. Chris drew himself up taller. "Since almost all of you seem to have drawn this question, I'll explain. Out of curiosity, how many of you felt you had to show up on the beach this morning?"
Everyone already knew that it was a rhetorical question, so Karyl spoke up, "Why do you want to know?" "More importantly, why have you abandoned your search for the Secret Scroll?" Yvonne said.
Chris leaned back again. "I hadn't meant to abandon it. I was just drawn away by the same urge. I had a hunch that all of you either knew about it, or felt it as well." Murray let out a long breath, "Alright, just so we're on the same page here, how many of us actually did feel the need this morning?" Everyone raised their first two fingers.
Kelly was the next to question, "And how many of us found at least one other person there already?" The same thing happened, except for Cassandra, and Chris, who asked, "Who did you end up with?"
Stanton finally talked again. "I was walking when Kelly showed up." Tymmie and Yvonne nodded to each other, Murray and Karyl pointed their thumbs. "Didn't you and Chris end up together?" Kelly asked Cassandra. She shook her head.
Stanton leaned on Yvonne's white convertible. "So what exactly does this mean?" Chris shook his head. "Like I said, I thought that you guys would know. I highly doubt it was just some big coincidence. My only other conclusion was that the Atrox somehow took us there."
"What would it want with the outcasts among us?" Cassandra pointed out. Obviously referring to herself, Tymmie, and Karyl. Again, Chris shook his head. "I could make a small suggestion," Karyl said.
"Stanton, since you're the Prince of Night, why don't you talk to the Atrox, and ask if it knows anything about this occurrence?" Stanton shrugged. "I doubt the Atrox would have the answer." "Wait, why don't we go to the beach now? After all, maybe we might find some answers tonight. I mean, what if we went there too early?" Tymmie suggested.
"I doubt it. I was feeling an urge so strong, it felt like the world would collapse if I didn't go, then and there." Kelly said. "But maybe your right. Who's with going to the beach?" Since they all were so willing to figure things out, no one protested.
Chris took Murray by the hand, and disappeared. Yvonne did the same thing to Cassandra and Kelly. That left only Stanton, Tymmie, and Karyl. Stanton almost took their hands but they drew back. He raised an eyebrow, knowing this would lead to a long, drawn out explanation.
When they arrived in front of the squat, it was already 10:15. Still, Stanton and Cassandra slid out of the car with ease and walked to the front door of the squat. Stanton looked around and realized that there were three other cars there.
Up ahead, he spotted Kelly, Tymmie, Yvonne, Murray, and Karyl. And Chris was in the middle. Cassandra spoke first, "Sorry that we're late Chris. It wasn't his fault though, I gave him a wrong time." She studied the faces around them.
"What have we been brought here for?" Stanton asked, annoyed. Chris drew himself up taller. "Since almost all of you seem to have drawn this question, I'll explain. Out of curiosity, how many of you felt you had to show up on the beach this morning?"
Everyone already knew that it was a rhetorical question, so Karyl spoke up, "Why do you want to know?" "More importantly, why have you abandoned your search for the Secret Scroll?" Yvonne said.
Chris leaned back again. "I hadn't meant to abandon it. I was just drawn away by the same urge. I had a hunch that all of you either knew about it, or felt it as well." Murray let out a long breath, "Alright, just so we're on the same page here, how many of us actually did feel the need this morning?" Everyone raised their first two fingers.
Kelly was the next to question, "And how many of us found at least one other person there already?" The same thing happened, except for Cassandra, and Chris, who asked, "Who did you end up with?"
Stanton finally talked again. "I was walking when Kelly showed up." Tymmie and Yvonne nodded to each other, Murray and Karyl pointed their thumbs. "Didn't you and Chris end up together?" Kelly asked Cassandra. She shook her head.
Stanton leaned on Yvonne's white convertible. "So what exactly does this mean?" Chris shook his head. "Like I said, I thought that you guys would know. I highly doubt it was just some big coincidence. My only other conclusion was that the Atrox somehow took us there."
"What would it want with the outcasts among us?" Cassandra pointed out. Obviously referring to herself, Tymmie, and Karyl. Again, Chris shook his head. "I could make a small suggestion," Karyl said.
"Stanton, since you're the Prince of Night, why don't you talk to the Atrox, and ask if it knows anything about this occurrence?" Stanton shrugged. "I doubt the Atrox would have the answer." "Wait, why don't we go to the beach now? After all, maybe we might find some answers tonight. I mean, what if we went there too early?" Tymmie suggested.
"I doubt it. I was feeling an urge so strong, it felt like the world would collapse if I didn't go, then and there." Kelly said. "But maybe your right. Who's with going to the beach?" Since they all were so willing to figure things out, no one protested.
Chris took Murray by the hand, and disappeared. Yvonne did the same thing to Cassandra and Kelly. That left only Stanton, Tymmie, and Karyl. Stanton almost took their hands but they drew back. He raised an eyebrow, knowing this would lead to a long, drawn out explanation.