Dark Prospects
GriffinFox: Sorry for the lack of updates. My grandpa had a stroke last night and both my parents live in another state so I had to get him to the hospital myself and I was busy. #_#
Lily 23: Sorry! Don't shoot me! *hides behind a rock*
Sanely Challenged: I was right about something? Really? ^_^ Thanks for the review.
Chapter 7: Gone
"Kidnapped? What do you mean?" Scott asked after Noel had told he and Carol the story (leaving out the part about Charlie being controlled by an elf-hating psychopath).
She rolled her eyes. "It means to seize and detain unlawfully. Read the dictionary. That's what happened to Charlie. It really isn't that difficult to figure out."
"You know, being annoying isn't going to help us get Charlie back." Bernard pointed out.
"You know," Noel mimicked, "I don't recall asking for your opinion."
"Short term memory is the first to go," he reminded her.
She whirled around. "Will you shut up for two whole seconds?"
He gave an exasperated sigh. "Well then do something! By the time we're done arguing it will be too late!"
Scott cut off the two bickering elves. "What makes you think we can save Charlie now?" The question was directed at Noel.
Noel looked troubled for a moment, but the look vanished quickly. "Because I know where he is."
"Where?" Carol asked.
Noel glared. "I was getting to that! Well Charlie in my time lived in this—this mansion in the human world. It's the largest thing around for miles. You can't miss it. He told me one time that that is where he was kept when he was young. That has to be where Charlie is now."
"You're well aquatinted with Charlie?" Bernard asked, surprised. Why would a person who wanted to kill all Christmas elves talk civilly to her? It didn't make sense.
"You could say that." Came a cold voice from behind all of them.
Noel froze, and then slowly turned around. "Hello Charlie."
A man with dark brown hair and Charlie's almost sickeningly charming smiled, leaned lazily against the doorframe. "Hello Daughter."
Bernard blinked. "Daughter?" He demanded of Noel. "You said your parents were—"
"They are dead." She said icily.
Charlie smirked. "True, I'm more of a surrogate father. But I would never have gotten to be where I am today if not for your dad, so I like to think of myself as an important figure in your life. Remember, Noel, I took you in when no one else wanted you."
"Only because you killed everyone who did!" She spat back.
Charlie shrugged. "I spared you, didn't I? It broke my heart when you ran away…" He didn't look overly upset about it.
Noel laughed bitterly. "You have to have a heart in order for it to break, so I'd say we're both fairly safe from that."
Charlie chuckled. Then he noticed the other three in the room. "Bernard!" He smiled. "I want you to know, I really will miss you after you die. And Carol and Dad, I want to say I think you've done a remarkable job raising me. I've turned out excellent… But back to business. Noel, you need to come home now."
"Wait a minute, let me think… No, I don't think I will..." Noel decided vaguely.
Charlie sighed and took a step toward her, but she vanished, as all elves could. This only amused the man. "Let's not play games, Noel. You know you can never win."
Noel reappeared behind him and looked like she was about to perform a spell or something to that effect, but Charlie spun around and grabbed her wrist.
"Charlie!" Bernard shouted. "What happened to you? Why are you so—"
"Mean? Evil? Demonic? I'm sure Noel has already told you. And I really don't have any more time for talking. Goodbye." And with that, Charlie disappeared, taking Noel with him.
Bernard sighed. "Great. Now what?" Oddly, part of him cared Noel was gone.
A large part of him.
A/N: Sorry for the delay, I'll try to update more often again. %_%