Chapter 3: Kidnapped

I sat in the library in the early Summer morning, reading the book that Mary had given me. It was quite fascinating! It was a love-y, romance-y sort of a story. Unfortunately, the silence of the room made me think of my useless week at the Seaside Lodge. He still hadn't apologized…

Sighing to myself, I heard the door open to the library. Mary greeted the newcomer. "Hello Gray, how are you?"

"Hey Mary. I'm doing fine…" I looked up from my book and gave a smile to Gray, who gave one back. He walked over to me and took a look at the book I was reading. He chuckled. "Another one?"

I nodded shyly. "Yeah… It's really good, honest."

He chuckled again. "I trust you; I just don't think it's my sort of a taste."

I smiled. "Neither do I!"

Gray walked over to the book shelves and rummaged through, looking at the spines for an interesting title. He gave a sigh, meaning he didn't seem to find one. Gray grabbed a chair and put it next to mine. He sat down and began to ask me about, well… "How is your little day-job?" He asked.

I sighed. "Terrible… It's not like I expected it, but he didn't even try to talk to me! I mean, it would have been nice if he HAD said something!" I put my chin in my palm. "It sucked big time…"

Gray pursed his lips. "I feel bad for you, Eve…"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't need pity, I need a miracle!"

He chuckled. "Yeah, you do…"

"What am I going to do?"

"Why don't you just quit?"

"I can't… I want to be an honest person in this town and that's what I'm doing!" I explained. He nodded, understanding.

"…Nothing else you can do then, is there?"

I opened my mouth and then closed it. He was right… I sighed and placed my book on my lap and my head on the arm of the chair. Gray ruffled my hair and gave me advice… and some help. "Don't listen to him, okay? If he says anything to you that you don't really appreciate…" I nodded. "I'll rip out his tongue. Okay?"

I laughed. "Okay!"

I looked up at the clock and sighed for the umpteenth time today. "I got to go to my 'little day-job'." I moaned. I held the book I was reading against me and started to walk out. "Bye Mary, bye Gray, I'll see you later."

They gave me a wave as I closed the door behind me and walked to the Seaside Lodge. Once on the beach, I heard someone groaning. "This can't be happening… This can't be happening…" I ran over and saw Kai leaning against the white frame of his shack.

"W-What can't be h-happening?" I asked, now concerned. Hey, I might hate the guy, but no one deserves to say 'this can't be happening' and not have someone worry about them.

Kai looked up and saw me. Still, no evil death glare, just a blank look. He looked at a piece of paper in his hand and then handed it to me. It said:

What a lovely establishment you have here Kai; very lovely. I think I will grace such a place even further with my presence. Hope you have what I'm looking for.

Phantom Skye

I stared at the message. "P-Phantom S-Skye?" I asked.

He nodded. "…He's going to steal from the Seaside Lodge…"

"What does he mean when he wrote 'hope you have what I'm looking for'?"

"Who cares?!" Kai yelled at me. I flinched and looked down. "He might take everything!"

"…W-What can we d-do?" I asked, looking up.

"We?" He looked surprised. "Y-You want to help?"

I nodded. "I-I work here too, remember?"

He gave me another blank stare. "Yeah… I guess…"

"I-Is he coming tonight?"

"Yeah…"

I looked away from Kai and at the lodge. "Should w-we just w-wait for h-him?"

He looked up. "Sounds like the only thing we can do. Come here tonight, ten o'clock sharp, got it?"

I nodded, looking at the ground. "Y-Yes."

"Good. You can go." Kai stated plainly.

I turned and left, in the direction of the Chicken Farm. When I arrived, Popuri was outside throwing some chicken feed around. She looked up and waved at me with a huge smile.

"Eve! Good to see ya!" She shrieked. I walked over to her with a worried expression.

"Popuri, you have to help me…"

Her smile disappeared. "What's wrong?" She gave me a look and crossed her arms over her chest. "What did Kai do?"

"Nothing this time… It's the Seaside Lodge; Phantom Skye is going to rob it!"

"Oh, no! That's Kai's only way of money! He needs it!" Popuri's eyes opened wide. "What are you going to do?"

"We're going to have a stake out, from ten until midnight I believe…"

"Two hours alone with Kai?! Are you sure you can make it?" She asked me.

"…I have to if we want the Seaside Lodge to be okay." I said.

"…Even though you hate Kai?"

"Yeah, this is his only income! I mean, I can't wish that on him. I don't like him, that's true, but I'd never want him to end up without his Seaside Lodge…" I told her.

She looked at me for a few minutes and then nodded. "Yeah… you're right Eve… Kai doesn't deserve you as an employee."

"Thanks, but I need to go, okay? Tell Lillia and Rick I say hi!" I shouted as I ran out. Popuri waved good-bye.

"Bye! I will!"

I came in at exactly ten into the Seaside Lodge. Kai stood at the counter, drumming his fingers, looking quite nervous. "…Ready?"

I twirled my red hair around my finger and nodded. "…Y-Yeah…"

He pointed to the counter. "We'll stay under here and I'll turn out the lights." I nodded and went under the white boards in an open spot. The lights went out and I held back a gasp. I utterly loathed, despised, and hated darkness…

Kai came under and saw my scared face through the… darkness. "What happened to you?"

I was irked by his insensitivity, but ignored it. "…I-I'm f-fine…"

Minutes rolled by… minutes rolled by… minutes rolled by… After much silence, it was ten of midnight. I sighed, breaking the silence. "K-Kai…?"

He mumbled something that I couldn't understand and then his head picked up. "Do you smell that?"

Before I could say 'no', he got out from his spot and went to the kitchen. I stood up from where I had sat for the past hour and so and stretched. "Hello there beautiful." Came a very smooth voice from the darkness.

I gasped and tried to look through the shadows. "W-Who's there?"

The person chuckled. "Afraid of me are you, my dear?"

I swallowed. "A-A l-little…"

"Honesty… I like that in a woman…" To my surprise, something cold brushed by my cheek. I gasped again and moved back. The person chuckled again.

"So jittery… poor thing…"

The light came on and I was face to face with the silver-haired Phantom Skye. "P-Phantom S-Skye?" I asked.

"Yes, it is me." he said raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"N-No, I-I mean… why are y-you here? T-To steal?" He looked at me curiously. "…Do y-you even l-like stealing?"

He just stared. "…Why would you want to know…?"

I shrugged as his gaze was still on me. "J-Just c-curious… Y-You don't h-have to t-tell me…"

Skye's eyes seemed to brighten. "I wouldn't mind at all…" I smiled. "Only if you joined me."

"W-What do you m-mean?" My eyes grew wide. He walked over to me.

"You are a very interesting woman, beautiful."

"Y-You don't h-have to lie l-like that y-you know." I told him.

"Lie?"

"Y-You called me b-beautiful…"

"I wasn't lying, my darling…"

"Phantom Skye-"

"Call me Skye, dear."

"Skye t-then, I know I-I'm not the p-prettiest of a-all the g-girls in town. I-I've already faced t-that, no n-need to b-bring it u-up again…"

Skye picked up his hand and put it underneath my chin; it was cold. "I…" He looked at me with a sparkle in his eye. "wasn't lying."

"How'd the lights come on-" Kai came out and saw Skye. "Phantom Skye!"

Skye chuckled. "I was wondering when you would be coming out."

Kai saw Skye drop his hand from my face. It made Kai scowl at me. "What is this?!"

Skye's face went grave and he stepped in front of me. "Don't speak to a lady with such a tone!"

"I'll say anything I want to!" Kai yelled. "Now get out of my store!"

"Ah, yes, I will…" he smirked. "But you have something I want…"

Kai's face went to shock. "W-What?"

"This beautiful maiden." Skye turned to me and pointed his finger in my direction. "CHICK-BEAM FIRE!"

I froze up and fell to the ground. I looked with horror as Skye picked me up and gave Kai a nod. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"KAI! HELP!" I screamed as Skye ran away with me still on his shoulder.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Oh, by the way, I have a new profile! Yay!