Disclaimer: All rights to the characters Wrinkle in Time go to Madeline L'Engle. All rights to characters of Mysterious Benedict Society go to Trenton Lee.

Chapter Three

Meg's head ached.

She didn't have her glasses on and the view in front of her was indecipherable. All she could remember was going down a dark stairway, into an eerie hallway, and crossing an unknown street to get to a brick house with an orange roof and a black gate. But what she couldn't seem to remember was what had happened after. She didn't favor being delirious and now that she had no clue where her little brother and Calvin were, panic began to rise rapidly throughout her body mingled in with pain.

"Charles," she whispered. She felt for his small body beside hers but she felt nothing, and she called for Calvin, but no answer either. Where am I? Much to her chagrin she was now in another unknown location and without her two trustworthy comrades beside her. "Oh," she cried quietly. "I'm lost, I want aunt beast and... Ms. Whatsit, Ms. Who, and Ms. Which." The thought of her motherly figure and her three guardian angels made hope bloom through her bosom. Strength began to rise inside her weak body and her sight strangely began to brighten.

Once again she reevaluated her surroundings with a clearer vision. The room was by all means tidy, and brought up with a homey secular feel that didn't go unnoticed; the walls yellow-orange, the floor carpeted and multi-colored, tall bookshelves brown and oak, beanbag chairs to and fro, and the room was warm and aroused with familiarity. But Meg wanted to go home home to mother and the twins but with Charles Wallace and Calvin at tow. The thought of going home without those two was just unimaginable to her.

Therefore getting up from the bed, she crept silently towards the green door. She was pretty sure the door was locked considering for some odd reason she felt trapped and a bit convict-like, her heart beating vehemently as she turned the door knob, the door opened—surprisingly—then being met with a tall girl in a striped red and white shirt, pale-blue jeans, white tennis shoes, and a high yellow ponytail carrying a tray with a bowl set upon it, heat waves escaping from the banister. The smell of tomatoes and beef wavered through Meg's nostrils.

Her stomach growled.

The incognito girl began to speak. "You're awa—"

Meg froze and the only words that were able to escape from her lips were. "Get away from me."

"My name's Ka—"

"I don't care who you are. Where's my brother? Where's Calvin? You have them—"

"I'm here to hel—"

"You have us as prisoners. Where are they? If you hurt them... I'll..."

The girl set the tray down beside her feet and smiled blissfully. "Surely won't hurt me." Her voice dripped with optimism. Having full blown hope that she wouldn't hurt her.

Meg didn't have time to comply she leaped over the food tray, ran past the strange tall girl, and found herself faced with different archways and an abundance of staircases that seemed impossible to walk down. Her energy was deteriorating and she knew it, but she didn't care at the moment. Finding Charles Wallace and Calvin, and getting out of this place was all that mattered to her rather than her health.

She screamed for her brother and best friend running down the halls, banging on each door, threatening any living being that if they have laid their hands on Charles Wallace and Calvin or have them held in there as hostage, they would have to get through her first before they did any more. "Charles Wallace! Calvin!"

Her face by now was flushed, streaked with tears, and red. Oh, if only father was here we wouldn't be in this mess. She thought tiredly. Her heart was continuing to beat with amplitude. And as she went through the hallways someone spontaneously tackled her from behind. "Get off of me!" Her muffled protests stopped as the anonymous body got off of her.

"Meg it's me."

Calvin?

Her heart stopped beating, and getting up off the floor, now on her two feet she rubbed her eyes for a moment before asking,"Calvin is it really you?"

"What do you think?" He inquired amusingly, a smirk planted on his lips. From her blurry vision she could see his signature freckles and his bright red hair, and out of intermediate impulse she hugged him tightly as if he were the anchor to her sinking ship. "We need to stop meeting like this," Meg said worriedly. "Crisis is the word for what we're in now. Do you know where Charles Wallace could be?"

The fourteen year old boy glumly shook his head. "No, I've been looking for the both of you. Luckily I've found you but Charles Wallace..." He trailed off, then his face turning alert. "I escaped from the room where I was held at. There was this guy with freckles and dark hair he was carrying a tray, and I zoomed on right past him once he opened the door. I think he was sent. His name was something like Bernard, I don't know. But Meg, we don't have enough time." She nodded and grabbed his hand. The co-Ed duo was now searching for their little comrade.

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"This place is getting weirder by the second," commented Calvin as the two were now making their way down a another leg of stairs, plus with Meg having no energy and Calvin being a fine beau he decided to carry her on his back. She was on his back lightless as a feather dozing on and off through each of the trips. "I hope we'll be able to get out of this place before sundown." Calvin's mind churned with ample worry. Getting on one of the city-train's in the dangerous night was not relief to his soul. Once they would find Charles Wallace they would leave this eerie place and would have to jump on a bus to go on home and think of other ways to locate and find Mr. Murry.

"Miss? gentleman?" His heart paused. The voice was rough but somewhat friendly. He knew the familiar voice; he could almost decipher it. Before the three of them had separated he remembered going down a dark hallway, the trio continuing to hold hands and terrified they could almost see someone approaching them, and the person held this pistol-like thing in their hand. And it was all he could remember. But the person's face and voice...

"Now young man..." The voice began.

Not knowing what else to do Calvin dashed rapidly going back up the stairs to where they had started. Meg still on his back groaned weakly and startled a bit, she didn't complain. Her head was beginning to succumb to pain and her eyes were beginning to close as if she was in a daze of some sort. She was beginning to think this was surreal. Then her eyes closed—unbeknownst to Calvin—who was trying to beat off their supposed perpetrator who was beginning to catch up to them.

His legs getting ultra tired kept on their stride as he approached a near by door. Stopping for a moment the perpetrator nowhere to be seen, he tugged on Meg's leg afraid she'd fallen asleep.

"Meg?" He tugged on her leg once more and still getting no response he knew he had to rely on his own gut. Twisting the door handle he was startled on the sight that laid before him.

"Charles Wallace?"

The younger fellow was sitting on the ground but not alone. A man wearing a zealous suit and his hair rivaling the color of a carrot's sat in front him with two children beside him. The one on his right seemed to be a snide short roly poly little girl with short blond hair and azure eyes while on the left sat a boy who was tan, wore glasses, and was completely bald on the head.

Speechless Calvin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Charles Wallace smiling up at his friend began to speak. "Hey Calvin, you're awake. You may join us if you li—"

Oh no, thought Calvin, not listening to any of the words his young friend had to say, fear echoed in his mind. Good thing Meg isn't awake, they've brainwashed ole sweet Charles.

This reminded him back to the time when Charles Wallace had been mind controlled by that wicked IT and the black thing. Infuriating him a little how they could take over a little boy's mind made him want to march over there and whisk him away, but it was already too late.

Calvin thinking such deliberate thoughts could feel himself beginning to give out, his heart began to beat tremendously, his legs started to weaken making him stumble back and forth, plus putting Meg clumsily down on the floor he could only hear Charles Wallace's worried voice say, "Oh, Mr. Benedict I think he's going to faint!"

And he did just that.

"I'm so sorry, Meg," were the last words that rolled off his tongue before settling into a deep surprising slumber.

—

—

"Are the kids still asleep?" Rhonda enquired as she set a cup of hot steaming joe in front of Milligan. "Yes," he said tiredly, rubbing his forehead. "However the tall one can sprint. I wouldn't be surprised if he took sports." Milligan then absentmindedly touched the fuzz around his mouth.

Usually when it came to cases like this one, he would forget to shave. He figured there were other things more important than keeping up with his hygiene. He then continued to think about these three... Let's say mysterious children?

These peculiar children, he thought cautiously. Surely they couldn't be part o— However before he could finish his thought Number Two entered, her slim straight yellow clad figure walking towards the coffee maker. She fixed herself a steaming cup of Joe and turning towards her two cohorts, she sighed defeatedly.

"Everything alright?" queried Rhonda putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. Number Two sighed again before she complied. "I believe Mr. Benedict's beginning to adore that young boy, Charles Wallace."

"How could he?" Rhonda couldn't help but smile, although she already was aware what the answer could be. "Mr. Benedict could love a flower cactus standing in the wide center of a desert if he wanted to."

All three Grownups laughed. "Ah, Mr. Benedict." Milligan conjured. He was still skeptical about the incognito children. What the other two children's names could be, he didn't know, he was confident Number Two would have the answer. Maybe that young boy Charles Wallace told her somehow.

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A/N: Well here's the third chapter. You're going to meet Kate, Reynie, Sticky, and Constance in the next chapter. I promise! Anyhow my bad for the long wait.

Guest: Well, I'm glad you like it. Surely you'll enjoy this chapter. I'm very glad you commented. Thank you so much!