Author's Note: Same disclaimer - all the Alvin and the Chipmunk characters are owned by their respective creators and copyright holders. This is a work of fiction, and created only for fun, the characters that I create and the story itself are my own work. :)
As I'm writing this, I'm thinking this might stretch into six parts because of the way I'm pacing it - I already know how the story's going to end, so I'm working my way there. I'm not sure how far along I'll get with this particular part, but we'll see.
Neptune's Palace - Part 3
Theodore would have walked home with his happy mood intact that evening, but he knew if he had, that particular sentence from Reed would have bothered him. As he watched Reed look around, Theodore ducked behind a nearby bush. Reed used his key to re-enter the water park gates. What was he doing? Where was he going? What kind of problem was he calling about to someone named "Lex"?
Theodore knew he heard the name "Lex" before...as a part of something, but he didn't know what. He watched Reed walk past the central fountain, he decided to wait a little longer in the slightly chilled air to see who the other person was.
He saw a car pull up to the gate, letting out its subsequent passenger, and he saw the figure speak to the driver. "Pick me up in about 20 minutes - this shouldn't take long."
Theodore felt his tummy grumble. He ate dinner earlier, but nerves almost always made him hungry, and this was no exception. He wondered if it was a good idea just to go home - but he had a bad feeling about all of this, and he knew that he wasn't going to leave unless he knew something about what was going on - if the whole point of the trip was to face his fears - then it wouldn't amount to much if he felt afraid of what might come out of this "meeting" between Reed and whoever Lex was.
When he saw the guy walk towards the Hall of Rivers, Theodore walked back on the sidewalk, going through the entrance that he, Alvin and Simon walked through the evening before, and cautiously made his way past the fountain towards the familiar building.
He slipped inside the familiar entrance room. It looked slightly different from when the Chipmunks were there last. It still had the same water sparkle lights and glow that made it so cool in the first place, but the staff added benches and flowers (waterlilies, jasmines, and a few other flowers that Theodore never saw before) to make it like a waiting area. He felt a grin cross his face because they definitely took the time to improve it, even over a day's time.
He heard the music from the mirror hall - "Oceania's Breath" if Theodore remembered Simon's words correctly - and the only way that would be playing is if someone were in the mirror hall at that moment. As he listened closely - he realized there were a few voices coming from the area. Theodore swallowed the lump in his throat, and carefully tiptoed toward the room. Part of him felt bad for eavesdropping, but the other part of him felt that something about this meeting was definitely off.
He thought Alvin rubbed off on him more than usual lately.
Theodore saw Reed a distance ahead, removing his hat to reveal a slightly thin scalp of hair. He seemed less happy than he'd been when Theodore saw him earlier. There were three men there - standing in a circle towards the end of the way of mirrors that he, Alvin and Simon walked before. He strained his ears to overhear the conversation.
"So do you mind telling me why exactly we're meeting here, and what the problem is? I thought everything was going according to plan. Lex wrote the review - you've pitched the idea to Rivera and Fred, and we've managed to shut down the place for a few days. Seems to me that all we have to do is put Plan B in motion and it's goodbye to this Palace." The third man, whom Theodore didn't see before, spoke while leaning against one of the mirrors like it was a wall, his face looking eerily dark and disgusted.
Reed ran the back of his hand over his brow, as if to wipe away sweat. "That's the problem. Some kid came by today. One of the Chipmunks."
"Chipmunks? You mean Alvin and the Chipmunks? They were here?"
Reed nodded to the guy standing in front of him. "Yeah, Lex. But it was just one of them, not all of them. Do you realize that one of them casting an endorsement for this place could throw the whole plan off? Rivera even signed off on his family getting free tickets!"
"Relax, I doubt even the Chipmunks would want to come to a place where there have been 'disappearances' and 'hauntings'. The next article's supposed to come out tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised if it makes the evening news tonight. And that kid's family certainly won't stay quiet about the whole thing. They're holding it against the park personally." The unknown man's voice was cold, distant, and sent a chill down Theodore's spine.
Kid? Theodore thought. He realized that they weren't really talking about him or his family anymore, but what did that have to do with anything? Theodore realized that the more he heard them say, the less he understood, and it made his stomach even more anxious.
"But what if they trace it back to one of us?" Reed pleaded.
"They can't. Besides, the only people that have heard the voice are just spotters, and they're the ones we'll rely on. Soon, Rivera and Fred won't have a business here and they'll have to go elsewhere. Don't worry, Reed, your end of the bargain is coming soon."
"He's right, Reed." Lex said. "I don't think we have anything to worry about, even if a celebrity does try to endorse this place - they'd have to consider the odd happenings here before they try."
"And I hope you two know who to thank for that." The unnamed man glared at Reed, who bristled under the look.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. You're the real magic man here, Siran."
Siran cracked his knuckles, and the fact that Theodore heard it, and sized up Siran's tall, full framed but not bulky figure in the same breath, made Theodore swallow a lump in his throat.
"Is there any way to turn that blasted music off?" Lex asked.
Reed's brow narrowed. "It should have shut off a little while ago - usually when people continuously walk from the entrance into this room, it'll put itself on repeat. I don't know why it hasn't stopped yet, since we're not in the entrance anymore."
Theodore started to back away slowly as he heard Reed's comment, but something froze him in place - a fearful thing that he couldn't believe when his eyes came across it. Siran pulled off his gloves, throwing them to the floor, placed his hands in the full frame of one of the dim spotlights in the room, and almost immediately, his hands went from pure flesh to liquid water. They were still his hands, just looked like water. It was a sight that both fascinated Theodore, and put fear in him to the point where his lip trembled.
Just as quickly as they liquified, Siran's hands shot out with a watery gust, like a water hose turned on full blast, and shot out from beyond the circle of men, crashing in a streamline towards the corner where he stood. Theodore gasped, and started to run, but the blasts, like watery claws, clamped around his ankles and started dragging him back towards where the men stood. He wanted to yell, but the words wouldn't come, and he desperately tried to find things to grab onto.
He found the leg of one of the benches to grab ahold, but the force of the water pulling him back, like a current dragging back into the ocean, was swift and unrelenting. Theodore had his tiny hands clenched around the bench leg for about a minute, before the force of the water finally made him lose his grip and suspended him in mid air before pulling him forcefully into the room where the three men stood.
Siran grinned as he looked at what he considered to be a catch, as the other two men stood in surprise. "Gentlemen, I think we have a stowaway."
Theodore laughed nervously, and knew that he was definitely in trouble.
"Hey guys, you think Theodore got back to Dave's all right?" Eleanor said as she watched Brittany set up the next song on the karaoke machine. Jeanette just finished a song of her own, and Brittany seemed impatient to make the rounds back to her turn to do a solo.
"Why are you so worried, Eleanor? I'm sure he's fine. Besides, Theodore hardly ever gets into any trouble, unlike a certain chipmunk I know." Jeanette rolled her eyes at Brittany's comment, knowing that she still had some kind of beef with Alvin after claiming they had bats lingering around the attic - that hadn't happened too long ago.
"I know, but still...I'm kind of worried about him. Call it just a bad feeling, I guess." Eleanor clasped her hands together nervously, biting her lip as she sat on one of the sofas in the living room.
"Why don't you call them and check? Then again, Theodore might be sleeping now. But you can check with Alvin and Simon if they're still up." Jeanette said.
"At least do your karaoke part before you call them, Eleanor - or at least give me a free pass to start my song, so we don't have to wait for you." Brittany pouted, and Eleanor sighed.
"You guys are probably right, maybe I'm being too much of a worrywart. I guess I'll take my turn now." She took the cordless microphone from Brittany's outstretched hand, and stepped up to the karaoke machine.
"Ugh! I can't believe you won again." Alvin complained, throwing up his arms as Simon took the remainder of Alvin's pieces from the checkerboard they played on the floor of their living room. Dave was upstairs getting ready to get some sleep. It was already
"It's called strategy - something you would do well to use every now and again." Simon said.
"Whatever, strategy requires too much thinking. If Theodore were here, it would just be a regular game. With you, it's like we're playing Battleship with REAL ships. Though that would actually be cool..." Alvin trailed on the last thought, while Simon sighed.
"I don't think it would be wise to have you in command of any ships, Alvin. But now that you mention it, is Theodore still over at Miss Miller's?"
"Yeah, he said he had to talk to Eleanor about something, though knowing him, Brittany probably dragged all of them into a karaoke session. And they could go for hours."
"Dave let him go over to Miss Miller's to do a karaoke session? That's odd."
"You didn't listen to me at all." Alvin said, raising a brow, but then shook his head. "I'm gonna watch TV - you can keep playing checkers if you want, but everyone knows that you're bound to win against yourself...if that makes any sense."
Alvin's face scrunched up a moment, but then he turned from Simon and found a place on the couch with the remote in his hand, and switched it on. The local news was on, and Alvin was about to change the channel, but Simon grabbed the remote out of his hand before he could.
"Hey! I was using that." Alvin complained.
"Hang on, I want to see the highlights of the news."
"Highlights...like it's some kind of basketball game or something. If it were only that exciting." Simon glared at Alvin, who rolled his eyes in response, but he continued to listen to the announcer after the credits rolled for the evening news.
"Top story on News at 11: Police officials are continuing to investigate the disappearance of a 9 year old boy who has been missing now since Friday evening. He was last seen at the popular water park Neptune's Palace, which briefly had to close down due to repairs and the ongoing investigation. While the up and coming water park has been thoroughly investigated, the news that the boy went missing from the attraction is one among a number of problems the park has faced in the past few days."
"What the...Alvin, did you know this?" Simon said, as he nearly dropped the remote from his hand.
"I'm just hearing about it now, the same as you. So that's the reason the park closed down so fast. Some kid went missing there in just the first few days around that place? Wait...see what I mean? I knew there was something off about that place. First the park closes down unexpectedly, then the sounds that Theodore heard in that place, then the bad review in the paper, and now the report coming out about that kid going missing."
" You're only saying that because you know this now, Alvin. Besides, the kid who disappeared might not have anything to do with the park, and he technically came before any of the other stuff you named. Still, the poor parents of that kid - they haven't heard anything from him since Friday."
"But the park closed down Saturday evening. He could be anywhere now."
"I guess he could be." Simon mused. "Still, I hope they find him."
"Me too." Alvin said, his brow furrowing.
Theodore still had the clamps of water around his ankles, swirling around like sparkling rings as he dangled in midair above Reed, Siran and Lex. He would have commented on how cool the rings looked if the three men weren't looking at him both in simultaneous surprise and anger. He laughed nervously and gave a mock salute.
"Uh, hi guys. I was just coming back into the park to use the bathroom before I went home...and..and..."
"Nice try, kid, but I think you've outworn your welcome. And considering how long that song's been playing, we know you've been here a little while. A little too long if you ask me." Siran's brow narrowed, and Theodore stifled an audible gulp.
"W-wait a minute - this is one of the Chipmunks...y-you're not gonna do anything to him, are ya?" Reed looked very nervous, and pulled at his collar.
"He's already heard and seen too much - what do you think?"
"Siran - don't jump to conclusions." Lex responded. "Actually, I think this could be a good thing - right in check with the plan."
"You have three seconds to enlighten me, Lex." Siran said, scowling. "After that, I'm following my own plan as to what to do with this pipsqueak."
"I think you should send him to the same place as the other kid."
"W-wait, what kid?" Theodore asked.
"Ugh, tell him the whole plan, why don't you." Reed said, rolling his eyes at first, but then his look changed as if a lightbulb went on in his head. "Though that does sound like a good idea."
Siran cut his eyes at Lex. "I guess I'd be fine with that. Keeps in check with the plan and adds to the press."
"Um, guys, you really don't have to do this." Theodore spoke the words, but he wasn't sure what the men were about to do. "I won't tell anybody - I-I just want to go home before it gets too dark and too late."
Siran shook his head. "Nah. We're not going to chance that. But I will send you to a place you might like, if you like this palace well enough. It's just too bad you'll be spending the rest of your days there."
"W-w-wait a minute...!" Theodore tried to speak again, but he realized that Siran's magic was orienting him towards a nearby mirror, which glowed in a frenzy of different colors - a kaleidoscope unfolding before his very eyes. Before he knew it, the water magic started spilling into the mirror. Literally, it ran in streams, rushing Theodore into the kaleidoscope as the water rushed him into the mirror without another word, over his back, face, hands, and all around him.
After Theodore disappeared into the mirror, it returned to normal, and Siran brought his water hands back to him, returning them to normal.
"Well, gentlemen, call it a problem-solved now." Lex and Reed looked at each other, in a mixture of worry and confusion.
When Theodore opened his eyes, he noticed three things about his surroundings that were out of place. The first thing he noticed was that he was underwater - that almost made him panic, until he realized what the next weird thing was: he could breathe underwater.
It came naturally, without him thinking about it, and he saw the bubbles come from both his nose and mouth as he sneezed. Sure the water tickled his throat, but it didn't really bother him as much as he initially thought. Of course the next thought in his mind was "Why can I breathe underwater?"
Then he looked down, and shouted in alarm.