Our story begins with Laurie waiting outside Rite Aid. (The group had decided to meet her there for lunch) Katie meets her, carrying Ping in her backpack.
Laurie: Hello
Katie: smiles Hi.
Ping: Food, people, I'm starving! Licks his chops and Katie goes in and buys him some food
Laurie: Follows Katie You can't let a stupid cat boss you around Katie. Katie feels a tap on her shoulder
Katie: Ping, stop that you're gonna get food! Feels a tap on her other shoulder Ping!
Laurel becomes visible, wearing a huge smile
Laurel: The absent-minded Ping is looking down the candy aisle. It is I, the great tapper of shoulders, mastermind of stupid jokes, and laugher at the universe!
Brock walks up
Brock: Hello.
Laurie: How was your morning? Brock sighs
Brock: Boring. Lots of homework from yesterday and no conflict…
Katie pays for food and gives it to Ping. Ping stuffs his face like a starved wolf
Laurel: Same here. The homework, I mean. I met Mine Do on my way here. She said something about hair. "Cheveuxou." I didn't understand it. Hair or . She had reddish eyes too.
Katie: I wonder what it means?
Vinnie walks up
Vinnie: What does what mean?
Laurel: Hair.
Vinnie: It's something on your head.
Laurel: No, Mm. Do said 'Hair or '
Vinnie: Oh, but you know what hair is?
Laurel: Yes. Stiffens and turns invisible Follow me. No, Ping. Follow Ping. Ping? Ping disappears Follow Katie, then. ((Katie, I'll tell you where to go. Get on the ground and crawl. Go out of Rite Aid and turn right.))
Katie does so and the rest follow her. Mr. McMurray sees them and follows, curious. Outside of Rite Aid Laurel reappears
Laurel: Where is Ping? Where does he always go? Ping is hiding in a tree in the McQueen courtyard
Ping: Okay, nobody knows. I'm fine. The kids need me. Only I can help them, and the princess needs me. Okay, I'm going back. Ping disappears
Brock: What's wrong?
Laurel: We're being followed. I'd hoped to lose them, but I don't think we did. She pulls her pen out of her right shoe, turns invisible, transforms, turns visible again, and nods to the others. They transform
Six hair people approach and Ping appears
Ping: Run, kids! They run Training has begun. Run faster! The hair people catch up Run faster!
Brock and Vinnie are engulfed and Katie runs harder, but she is swallowed by the group of hair people Laurel and Laurie run faster than the hair people can with three captives
Vinnie: Quack! (help!)
Katie: They've frozen us! Run!
Brock: I wish I could blow them up with my weapons of mass destruction, but I left them at home today.
Ping: What are weapons of mass destruction? Crazy person! Anyway, Laurel, Laurie turn and face them! Laurie you draw some away. Laurie grows wings
Laurie: Hair! Free hair! Come and get it! She hovers just above the ground, making a lock of her hair sway to and fro in front of the hair people. Three of the six follow
Ping: ((Laurel, shock the longest-haired one three times. Be very, very careful though. He is a connoisseur of trickery))
Laurel: ((I think I know him. I've seen him before. Uh-oh I do know him. Great! This sucks.)) Hey you! Longest haired! Step forth! No, or I will gut you like a fish! Chuckles in a partly nervous voice
Longest haired: Ah, so we meet again, my dear. How pleasant a surprise.
Laurel: I don't know how pleasant this meeting is now, but I know that it ain't gonna be pleasant in a moment.
Longest haired: So you have come to duel.
Laurel: Actually, you followed me.
Longest haired: That's besides the point.
Laurel: Okay, first of all what point? It's just small talk for Pete's sake! And second, why are you offended so? I'm an innocent little cutie-pie. And I actually try to listen to you. It's hard, but I try. Longest haired changes the subject
Longest haired: Hair or dare?
Laurel: Huh? stalling
Longest haired: Either I take you hair or I cast the dare spell on you.
Laurel: Refresh my memory on the dare spell.
Longest haired: cackles You are very good at keeping things at bay.
Laurel: Homework is another story, though. You see teachers aren't fooled by-
Longest haired: The dare spell makes the victim unable to do anything unless the keeper of the spell dares the victim to do so. It's very handy.
Laurel: Is that how you get so many followers? 'Cause they sure don't like you.
Longest haired: Bravo you figured it out. Now watch this. I summon the power of the Great Silence to create the Dare spell! Throws the spell at Laurel but misses, kitting Mr. McMurray. Mr. McMurray turns all hairy and bows down to Longest-haired Go get that winged girl! I missed, but I guess it's a good example. cackles
Laurie: Eek! She blows up the last hair people and hesitates to hurt Mr. McMurray
Longest haired: See? He obeys my every command!
Laurel: Eat dirt, you cowering dunce of worthless dreams!
Longest haired: You slight me, yet you fear me.
Laurel: Oh really?
Longest haired: Yeah! In fact, if you don't quiet slighting me your friend will get hurt!
Laurel: cautious Which one?
Longest haired: The one I have frozen her first of course and then the feathered one or why not both at the same time? Katie cringes and moan in pain
Laurel: Don't you dare, butt head! I know who you are, I can hurt you to the core, and I am Katie's friend.
Longest-haired: How could you hurt me? Pray, tell! cackles
Laurel: If ever hearts were broken, or mended if ever life was given or taken away let the heavens rumble over this cold-blooded heartless, broken fool. I command thee so! Thunderheads gather. Hail falls, lightning dances Its dangerous waltz
Strike, I pray thee, strike this broken hearted anger torn wretch thrice!
Longest haired is struck three time by lightning. With a heart-wrenching cry he crumbles to ashes. Yet a silvery figure escapes the pile of dust. The rest of the hair people die and Mr. McMurray is himself again. Katie, Vinnie, and Brock ar freed. It stops hailing and turns to rain
Ping: Quick! Lets get out of here, before we are soaked!
Laurie, ping, Katie, Vinnie, and Brock run to Rite Aids sheltering over hang followed by Mr. McMurray. Sobs are heard near the pile of ashes, now turned to mud. Laurel scoops up what's left of he ashes and runs to the others.
Katie: What's wrong?
Laurel: Nothing. Nothings wrong. She finds an empty flower pot and puts the ashes in it, hugging it to her
Ping: ((Maybe it's better. Katie and the others are free. Stop crying. He will be back and you must become stronger. You can turn him back. I know your powers)) Laurel stops crying and it stops raining immediately
Laurie: Food makes everything better. C'mon lets go eat.
Laurel: Amen to that. They all go and get lunch, late as it might be in the afternoon
Ping: Mr. McMurray, you must tell no one. Swear to protect us.
Mr. McMurray: I so swear, But change out of your weird costumes. They do so
To be continued……