Phoebe's eyes were wide in shock. Surely Arnie wouldn't hurt Gerald!
What had Gerald ever done to Arnie to make Arnie want to hurt him? Phoebe's
brow furrowed in concentration. What had I done to Arnie to make him want
to hurt me... And Nadine... "Something's not right here." She hissed
softly. Then her brows shot up in shock. "But maybe he's not doing it for
himself. Maybe he's doing it because someone else asked him to? Maybe he's
doing it out of revenge... Or maybe out of. Helga!" She exclaimed and ran
out of the house.
~*~*~*~
The police were at Rhonda's house, talking with Gerald and Arnold- asking them what they saw and what occurred. Officer Jabez asked them why they had come in the first place and Arnold had to explain what happened to Helga. The officer nodded as he took notes on his pad.
"And then I opened the closet door and there was Nadine! Just like you see her now..." Arnold said with a soft frown. "We ran outside and called you. We don't know where Arnie is, officers." He added, looking away. Gerald stood at his side, his head bowed low.
"It could have been Phoebe." Arnold heard him hiss as Gerald shook his head. "What if it had been Phoebe in the closet or on the floor? What if it was her?" Arnold shook his head and put his hand on his best friend's shoulder.
"It wasn't Phoebe, Gerald. Phoebe's fine. Look, we need to talk with Helga. She needs to know. She's probably frantic right now-Phoebe's probably worried too, if Helga called her."
"Man, I have a bad feeling about all this..." Gerald said, closing his eyes. "I think Phoebe might know more about this then she's letting on, Arnold. Let's go talk with Phoebe and Helga. We'll figure something else out then."
~*~*~*~
When Phoebe was about a block away from Helga's house she became aware she was being followed. She did nothing to acknowledge the follower, but her brisk pace quickened. The wind whistled through the air, a frightening cry that seemed to yell at her "Hurry, hurry!" but she did not hurry. Footsteps echoed her own on the ominous streets. Suddenly the footsteps following her quickened and then went silent. Phoebe crouched low to the ground as the figure rushed forward, tripping over Phoebe and landing in the trash can.
Grabbing a loose pipe, Phoebe hurried to the person, groaning in the trashcan, trying to sit up. Eyes widening in shock, Phoebe dropped the pipe on the ground. The figure before her was not Arnie. Clutching her head, the figure gazed at Phoebe with pained eyes, pulling garbage from her sleek red hair. The figure smiled faintly at Phoebe.
~*~*~*~
Arnold knocked hurriedly on Helga's door. Big Bob and Mariam were gone, one of the few times they'd gone dancing since Olga's wedding to her Princeton boyfriend. Helga opened the door saying "Phoebe?" But Phoebe was not there. Arnold looked at Helga curiously.
"Phoebe's not here?" Arnold asked her. Helga shook her head, ushering them both inside. Arnold went first, followed by Gerald whose eyes were narrowed. Helga left the door opened
"I call Mrs. Heyerdahl, they said that Phoebe was coming over here and that was about an hour ago... I'm worried." Helga's blue eyes locked with Arnold's green eyes. Neither said anything for a long moment. Finally, Gerald cleared his throat and looked at them impatiently.
"We need to get Phoebe. She could be in danger."
"That's not necessary." Came a voice from the doorway. The trio turned to look at a tired-looking Phoebe, who was pulling along someone behind her. "I found someone following me when I was coming here, Helga. She knows something about Arnie." Helga raised her brow at Phoebe.
"Who could possibly know anything about Arnie?" Helga inquired, Phoebe bit her lower lip, but did not reply for a moment. Then silence was broken from a voice behind Phoebe.
"That would be me." The girl stepped up beside Phoebe, her gaze locked on the ground. A collective gasp echoed through the room. It was Arnold who finally broke the silence.
"Lila?"
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Author's note: this was my shortest chapter yet! I HATE it when I write short chapters, but this one was something I needed to be short. I'll try to add another chapter this weekend, but no promises. Thanks to all my reviewers and everyone who's gone with me this long. I hope to finish this story soon, but there's still some things I'd like to do before it's over. I still want to have one big twist, but I'm not currently sure what to do. It will be something good, I promise! Thanks again!
~*~*~*~
The police were at Rhonda's house, talking with Gerald and Arnold- asking them what they saw and what occurred. Officer Jabez asked them why they had come in the first place and Arnold had to explain what happened to Helga. The officer nodded as he took notes on his pad.
"And then I opened the closet door and there was Nadine! Just like you see her now..." Arnold said with a soft frown. "We ran outside and called you. We don't know where Arnie is, officers." He added, looking away. Gerald stood at his side, his head bowed low.
"It could have been Phoebe." Arnold heard him hiss as Gerald shook his head. "What if it had been Phoebe in the closet or on the floor? What if it was her?" Arnold shook his head and put his hand on his best friend's shoulder.
"It wasn't Phoebe, Gerald. Phoebe's fine. Look, we need to talk with Helga. She needs to know. She's probably frantic right now-Phoebe's probably worried too, if Helga called her."
"Man, I have a bad feeling about all this..." Gerald said, closing his eyes. "I think Phoebe might know more about this then she's letting on, Arnold. Let's go talk with Phoebe and Helga. We'll figure something else out then."
~*~*~*~
When Phoebe was about a block away from Helga's house she became aware she was being followed. She did nothing to acknowledge the follower, but her brisk pace quickened. The wind whistled through the air, a frightening cry that seemed to yell at her "Hurry, hurry!" but she did not hurry. Footsteps echoed her own on the ominous streets. Suddenly the footsteps following her quickened and then went silent. Phoebe crouched low to the ground as the figure rushed forward, tripping over Phoebe and landing in the trash can.
Grabbing a loose pipe, Phoebe hurried to the person, groaning in the trashcan, trying to sit up. Eyes widening in shock, Phoebe dropped the pipe on the ground. The figure before her was not Arnie. Clutching her head, the figure gazed at Phoebe with pained eyes, pulling garbage from her sleek red hair. The figure smiled faintly at Phoebe.
~*~*~*~
Arnold knocked hurriedly on Helga's door. Big Bob and Mariam were gone, one of the few times they'd gone dancing since Olga's wedding to her Princeton boyfriend. Helga opened the door saying "Phoebe?" But Phoebe was not there. Arnold looked at Helga curiously.
"Phoebe's not here?" Arnold asked her. Helga shook her head, ushering them both inside. Arnold went first, followed by Gerald whose eyes were narrowed. Helga left the door opened
"I call Mrs. Heyerdahl, they said that Phoebe was coming over here and that was about an hour ago... I'm worried." Helga's blue eyes locked with Arnold's green eyes. Neither said anything for a long moment. Finally, Gerald cleared his throat and looked at them impatiently.
"We need to get Phoebe. She could be in danger."
"That's not necessary." Came a voice from the doorway. The trio turned to look at a tired-looking Phoebe, who was pulling along someone behind her. "I found someone following me when I was coming here, Helga. She knows something about Arnie." Helga raised her brow at Phoebe.
"Who could possibly know anything about Arnie?" Helga inquired, Phoebe bit her lower lip, but did not reply for a moment. Then silence was broken from a voice behind Phoebe.
"That would be me." The girl stepped up beside Phoebe, her gaze locked on the ground. A collective gasp echoed through the room. It was Arnold who finally broke the silence.
"Lila?"
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Author's note: this was my shortest chapter yet! I HATE it when I write short chapters, but this one was something I needed to be short. I'll try to add another chapter this weekend, but no promises. Thanks to all my reviewers and everyone who's gone with me this long. I hope to finish this story soon, but there's still some things I'd like to do before it's over. I still want to have one big twist, but I'm not currently sure what to do. It will be something good, I promise! Thanks again!