Blurb:

So, is Tai dead or do Sora and Matt need to do a little exploring and spying? But... Who will end up at the bad end of the stick?

Spying and Saving

Sora cycled along a gravel path. Several ghosts and monsters hid visible in the bushes. Sora is unbothered and cycles toward the front door. She swerves and jumps off. She jumps around in a karate move. A monster jumps out and-

"CUT!" Sora jumped down from a kick and glared at Izzy. The men from behind the bushes angrily stumbled through the fake sticks.
"Izzy, what I do this time?" Sora moaned. She was echoed by several people stepping out from behind the cameras.
"Nothing but I need to replay that part, make the jump higher and make it more dramatic!" Izzy replied over his laptop.
"And that's nothing? And I thought you were gonna complain." Sora urged.
"Nah, just that." And then he went back to typing on his computer. "Take 5!"

Several hours later Sora was lazing on her sofa. It was quiet in here compared to the studio. Matt was down town with his band playing at a concert. Sora had managed to persuade him that she didn't need to go. She sighed and turned on the TV.
"And Matt and Company have done it again!"
"Oh no." Not the news on Matt's latest band release. Suddenly the phone started to ring and Sora ran to it.
"Hey." Sora breathed down the phone.
"Hey Sora, heard the news?" Someone replied.
"What is it?" Sora heard a sniff. This person was crying.
"Sora, Tai is dead..." Sora threw the phone down as if it had just bitten her. She jumped away and when she picked it up the line was dead. Dead, she thought, dead, just like Tai.
"NO!" She suddenly screamed. She collapsed onto the sofa and hid her head under the cushion, "No, he can't be." She cried quietly. No, it wasn't true. No, she kept repeating in her head, never, just a silly prank. She ran to the phone and dialled Tai's number. It was picked up after about twenty rings.
"Erm, hey, is Tai there? Tell him it's Sora." She explained. The person who had picked up suddenly cried. It was true. She slammed the receiver in place and ran to her room. She hid there till Matt slammed the door, announcing that he was home.
"Sora?" He called. He heard sniffing from upstairs and ran up. Sora was there, hidden under all the covers. "Sora, what is it?" She turned her tearful eyes to his. Tai had been his best pal.
"Ma... Matt, Tai, he's gone." She explained.
"Tai? What kidnapped? Why I'll..." Matt started.
"No, he's dead." Matt starred at Sora and then looked down at the covers. He looked back up but didn't meet her eyes.
"Sor, I need your help. Listen, Tai isn't dead." Sora shook her head.
"No, he's dead, Kari told me."
"It wasn't Kari on the phone." Matt argued.
"Not Kari?" Sora started to believed, because she wanted to.
"No, Sora, we need to do a little rescuing." This threw Sora right off course.