The Hubble Identity 2
Chapter 2
The Discovery
Jason was sitting on the couch in the Den when Mildred came downstairs. He was aimlessly surfing through channels.
"350 channels, nothing on." He muttered turning off the T.V. and dropping the remote onto the coffee table.
Then he saw Millie standing there. She was standing there in jeans and a t-shirt.
"Your, mum, gave me some things that she said your cousin Jodi left the last time that she was here." Said Mildred shyly.
"Don't worry," he smiled, "You look great!"
Mildred smiled back. Then Jason's smile got bigger when he saw what shirt she was wearing. It was a black shirt with a painting of a Mythical Phoenix on it.
"That is a very fitting shirt," he chuckled, "considering I found you in a ring of fire."
Mildred looked down at the shirt and smiled.
"Yeah," she chuckled, "I guess it kinda is." Jason stood up.
"There is something that I wanted you to look at," he said, bringing her the two pieces of the staff. "this was lying next to you when I found you."
Mildred took the pieces of the staff and looked them over.
"Does it trigger anything?" asked Jason with curiosity in his voice. Mildred shook her head sadly
"No, I'm sorry," she said, "I still don't remember anything."
"That's okay," said Jason, "Maybe my dad will have better luck."
"What do you mean?" she asked
"My dad's a private investigator," Explained Jason, "Mom sent him a picture of your uniform and he's cross referencing it with known private schools."
"That might just work." Said Mildred
"Yeah," said Jason, "There can't be that many schools around whose emblem is a cat sitting on a crescent moon."
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Julie Hubble paced back and forth in Ms. Cackles office. She couldn't believe that this was happened.
"Your sure that she was transported somewhere?" she said
"That's what we think." Said Ms. Cackle, "We'll know more as soon as Hecate finishes her analysis of the residue near Mildred's cauldron."
"But if that's what happened why hasn't she tried to contact us or me?" said Julie
"That I don't know, exactly." Said Ms. Cackle, "we may find the answer to that when we find out where she ended up."
Out in the hallway Enid and Maud were listening at the door. they were both very worried about their best friend.
"It's so strange," sighed Maud, "Millie does make a Mess now and again, but she's never transported herself anywhere before."
"I know," said Enid, "besides we've only been back in school a few days and it takes weeks to make a transference potion!"
"Right," said Maud, "and some of the ingredients are so rare that it's not really something even Millie could stumble on to."
The girls sighed and started down the hallway. They hated feeling so helpless. They hadn't gone far when they passed and open window and heard the sound of voices coming from directly below the window in the courtyard.
"I won't have to worry about Hubble Bubble getting in my way again," said Ethel Hallow gleefully.
"But you know she'll get back eventually." Said Drusilla
Ethel gave an evil smirk. As they started to walk away.
"Wanna bet?"
Maud and Enid flattened themselves against the wall. Enid's fists doubled up.
"Ethel knows something or did something." Growled Maud.
"We'll there's a real shocker!" snapped Enid, "Just wait till I get my hands on that that arrogant twit!"
"hold it," said Maud, "We have to be smart about this, right now, it's our word against hers and besides, she didn't exactly come out and admit that she did anything!"
Enid deflated.
"You're right," sighed Enid, "Without proof no one would believe us. Accusations without proof could hurt Miss Cackle again too."
"Right," Maud nodded, "the Hallow family good name may be in the dumper after that phony petition fiasco, but they still have some influence with the council."
"Yeah, so, what do we do?" asked Enid
"I don't know," said Maud dejectedly, "I really don't know." Enid turned and looked out the window toward the horizon.
"Millie," she whispered, "I hope where ever you are that you're alright."
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The next day Millie was sitting down to lunch with Jason in the five-star Italian restaurant Antonio's. They were in the VIP room non-the-less! Millie looked around taking in everything. She couldn't remember the last restaurant she ate in, but she doubted that it was anywhere near as spectacular as this.
"When you told me where we were going for lunch I looked up Antonio's," said Millie as she took in the luxurious room, from atop a pile of pillows on the giant couch she was relaxing on, "I can't believe you got us in the front door. Much less got us the VIP room! The website said that reservations for a table alone have to be made weeks in advance and you have to book this room months in advance!
Jason shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Unless your mother owns the place and the whole chain!" he admitted
Mildred's mouth dropped open
"Really?"
Jason nodded, the chuckled, "And if I don't come here and let her cook me at least one meal a day she'll start to worry that I'm not eating right."
Millie chuckled, then looked wistful
"I'm sure my mother would probably be the same way. I wish I could remember her."
Jason took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
"You will," he said, "and we'll help you."
Just then the kitchen door opened, and Jason's mother and two waitresses entered with their food. Salad, Breadsticks, Pizza, a Beef Ravioli platter and an even bigger sample platter with Chicken Parmesan, Fettucine Alfredo, Lasagna, and samples of several dishes.
Jason shook his head in disbelief and laughed a little.
"Mom, I think you got a little carried away." He teased
"Well I didn't know what she liked," shrugged his mother
"Neither do I for that matter," Replied Mildred, "But there's bound to be something here, Thank you Mrs. Steele."
Jason's mother smiled and went back to work. Mildred and Jason each picked up a plate and started working their way around the table buffet style. Mildred got her self at least a bite of everything to see if she could tell what her favorites were.
Jason held Millie's plate while she climbed back up on top of her mountain of pillows. Then she held his while he climbed up and sat next to her. A few minutes later they were well into enjoying their food. Millie reasoned that she must not be a very picky eater because she liked everything she tried.
All at once their pleasant meal was interrupted by the shattering of a plate in main dining area.
Jason and Millie jumped to the floor left their plates behind and ran out the door. As soon as they got into the main room they saw two characters in business suits holding Jason's mother at gunpoint.
Jason took a flying leap over a partition and tackled both men knocking them to the floor. Their guns were knocked from their grip.
He pulled one of the guys up by his hair and socked him in the nose knocking him against the wall. The other guy spotted one of the guns laying on the floor. He grabbed it and pointed it at Jason's back.
"No!" cried Millie instinctively holding her hand out palm up. her eyes flashed gold and the man gave a yelp of pain and dropped the gun. Jason's head whipped around, and he saw a red-hot glow fading from the butt of the pistol leaving it smoking! He also saw the golden glow fading from Mildred's eyes!
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Enid and Maud were sitting in their room. They hadn't been able to concentrate very well in their classes. It was infuriating to know that there was someone who knew all the answers sitting across the aisle from them and there was nothing they could do.
Suddenly they both sat up.
"I got it!" they both said, having the same thought!
"When Ethel pulls a stunt she always makes the same mistake!" said Maud. Enid nodded
"She always tells Drusilla!"
"Right," said Maud, "and she can be made to talk."
The girls jumped up and ran dining hall. They were on the hunt. Target: Drusilla!
TO BE CONTINUED....please Review