Chapter 5 – Lights Out!

The gals sleep in the next morning, waking up around 10 AM. At 11 AM, they are in the restaurant eating breakfast, and planning their next course of action. The restaurant is empty, as the rest of the students ate to make the park opening at 10 AM.

"If Edison is gone, we can enjoy the park!" says Clover, over her bowl of fruit.

"But what if he isn't? We have to be smart about this, Clover," says Alex as she tears into her pancakes.

"I agree, Alex.... I've got it! We'll employ a 'safety spotter'!" exclaims Sam, over her cereal.

"How's that?" asks Alex.

"Like this, Alex! When we ride a thrill ride, only two of us will go on it at a time, while the third watches with her contacts and analyzer sunglasses. She'll inspect the ride superstructure and act as a 'safety spotter'. If Edison appears, those on the ride can enable the jet part of the go-go boots and get out of harms way! On the tamer rides, all three of us can ride together, and we'll all be wearing our contacts and analyzer sunglasses!" says Sam.

"Great idea, Sammy! Then we can all enjoy the park, and still be safe, even if Edison is still around!" says Alex.

"Only one problem, Sam. Alex will be on the 'Stratosphere' all day, remember?" says Clover. Sam is deflated. She forgot about Alex going for the record!

"No I won't, Clover! I found out yesterday that the record for the coaster is five straight days! We won't even be here that long! The website I checked had an out-of-date entry! So I CAN spend the day with Sam and you!" says Alex.

"Great, Alex! Let's do it!" says Sam exuberantly.

Soon the girls are at the amusement park. They are riding all of the coasters, employing their 'safety spotter', and enjoying all of the tamer rides and attractions together. Soon, Edison is just a bad memory from yesterday.

But Edison doesn't plan to go away so easily. He used a pleasure boat dock not far from the park as his hideout. He saw the WOOHP missile last night and surmised that the girls would check the hotel and the parks for him, so he decided to lay low here and plan his revenge.

Back at the amusement park, the gals are having a great time! Alex tries her luck at the midway games, and ends up winning two stuffed animals too, just like Clover and Sam. The gals are enjoying the shows and the food too. Clover and Sam make sure Alex buys a box of the saltwater taffy.

"Boy, this stuff is sure good!" says Alex, as she pops another taffy in her mouth. "Have some, girlfriends."

"Don't mind if I do!" says Clover.

Sam tries to be strong, but the smell of the taffy finally breaks her will. "Ok, I'll take one!"

Once again, the box of taffy is starting to disappear quickly. Sam again breaks out her tape to save the gals from a month of dieting and exercising!

"Wow, thanks Sammy! That stuff is so melt-in-your-mouth good, it's easy to lose track of how many pieces you've eaten! I didn't realize I'd already had five!" says a grateful Alex.

"We know, Alex! There is a taped box back at the hotel too! Clover and I fell victim to it yesterday! I suggest we get one more box, tape it, and take it home for our families!" says Sam.

"Totally! That way WE won't eat it all!" says Clover, and the gals laugh.

The fun day passes all too quickly. There is time left to only ride one more attraction, and then the park closes until tomorrow. The gals decide on a nice peaceful ride, the 'Laugh in the Dark', that all three can ride together, basically getting them ready for a restful night.

The gals are enjoying the ride as the car meanders through its various scenes. As they come around a corner, Sam detects a heat source among the animated figures to their right.

"DUCK!" she screams as she pulls Clover and Alex down by the shoulder, just as a laser pierces the darkness and beheads both stuffed animals! Quickly the gals exit the car and run toward Edison!

Edison is running among the animated figures, but the gals are gaining on him too quickly for him to find a hiding place! He quickly exits the ride and starts running toward the 'Fun House'.

"There he goes!" say Sam, as the gals follow in hot pursuit. Edison enters the 'Fun House' with the gals only about twenty feet behind!

"Ok gals, spread out! We should be able to trap him in here!" says Sam.

"Right, Sammy!" says Alex as she goes off to the left.

"Ok, Sam!" says Clover as she goes off to the right. Sam continues to tail Edison.

Edison rounds a corner, and an evil smile comes across his face! Just ahead is the 'Rolling Barrel'. There is no way around it! All people have to walk through it! He'll get through it quickly, and then turn and eliminate the gals with his laser gun as they follow behind him and try to keep their balance in the barrel.

But the best laid plans of mice and men often go agley, to quote Willie Shakespeare! As Edison enters the barrel, he quickly comes flying out! Alex got there first from the other side and nailed him with a flying kick.

As Edison tries to pick himself up from the kick, he is surrounded by Sam and Alex.

"You'll not get me!" Edison thunders, and he quickly deploys his laser gun.

But Clover fortuitously arrives on the scene just in time. She throws her compowder at Edison's hand and jars the laser gun from his grasp!

"Lights on, nobody home!" says Clover, as she nails Edison with a front kick.

"Time to turn out the lights!" says Sam as she nails him with a side kick.

Alex knocks him out with a roundhouse kick, while saying, "Lights out!"

Soon WOOHP has arrived. Clover hit her WOOHP distress button just as the gals entered the 'Fun House'.

"Excellent job, ladies! Well done!" congratulates Jerry.

"Thanks, Jerry!" they reply in unison, as the WOOHP agents take Edison away.

"I hope we don't see Edison any time too soon!" says Clover.

"Not to worry, Clover! Edison won't be at a state prison this time. He'll be held at a WOOHP Maximum Security Facility. There won't be any time off for 'good behavior'. He'll have to serve his entire sentence!"

"That's a relief, Jer! Sometimes, I wonder whose side the judicial system is on, when they let people like Edison out early!"

"I can feel your frustration, Clover! But at least you girls can enjoy your outing now, without fear!" says Jerry, as he waves goodbye and boards the WOOHP jet/copter.

After the gals wave goodbye to Jerry, Alex returns to the 'Laugh in the Dark' to claim what's left of her stuffed animals. With a tear in her eye, she picks up her now headless animals, when an employee approaches her.

"Excuse me, Miss! What is your name?" he asks.

"Alex," she replies sadly.

"Alex? Ok. A man by the name of 'Jerry' paid for these two replacement stuffed animals, and asked me to give them to you!"

Alex's demeanor changes from sad to happy, as she gets her two replacement animals! She thanks the attendant, but also takes the two headless animals too.

"Alex, why do you want those headless stuffed animals?" asks Clover quizzically.

"Nothing will remind me of this outing more than them! And I'll put the two replacement animals next to them, to remind me of the great boss we work for!" she says happily.

The next morning the gals wake up in their hotel room.

"Well, ladies, do we go to the amusement park today or the water park?" asks Sam.

"I'm all for a nice quiet, relaxing day! I vote for the water park!" says Alex.

"Totally! I've had enough thrills for one weekend!" says Clover.

"Sounds good to me! Bikini time!" says Sam.

The gals don their bikinis and sun covers, and eat a light breakfast. While the majority of the students take the tram to the amusement park, the gals are the only ones taking one to the water park.

"Looks like we'll have the water park to ourselves!" says Sam.

"The water park doesn't really start to attract a crowd until the afternoon," says the tram driver. "Ooops! One more rider!" and he opens the door for the straggler. It's DAVID!

"Thanks for waiting!" David says. Then when he sees the gals, "Hi, Clover, Alex, Sam! Looking to relax some in the water today too?"

"We sure are, David!" replies Clover dreamily.

"I understand they have a few water coasters and flume rides at the water park! It should be fun!"

"We should spend it together, as a group," suggests Sam dreamily.

"That sounds like a great idea, Sam! If you gals don't mind, I'd happily spend the day with you!"

"We don't mind, David!" says Alex dreamily as the tram starts on its way to the water park.

Of course, the girls are on a cloud knowing they will be spending this day with David. They were even happier as they observed Mandy's reaction thru the tram window. She had saved a seat for David on the amusement park tram and planned to monopolize his time all day. She was totally steamed when she saw him go to the water park tram instead, and sit with the girls. Mandy was throwing one of her classic tantrums. Observers rated it a 9.7!