A/N: before I get started I want to thank those of that have read the first chapter. Also thank you xxSkitten for the review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Horton Hears a Who or its characters. If I did, you would have known. All I own if the plot and my own characters.
The letter slowly made its way to the ground as time seem to stop to a halt. On the paper was three small, but terrifying words someone could ever receive.
"JoJo is next."
The family just stood there, silent, still trying to get over the shock and take everything in. It seem like an eternity until someone said anything.
"Everyone! Get your ass inside the house and lock all the windows and close the blinds! Make sure no one can see inside the damn house!", Sally yelled to break the silence. Everyone snapped out their trance and ran inside the house. Sally was never the one to curse, but in situations like these she sometimes can't control what leaves her mouth. The whole family made sure all the windows were lock and the blinds were shut to a point that no light could come in. Sally dragged the still dazed JoJo inside the house. She threw him onto the couch and turned his head to face her.
"JoJo, listen to me. Stay here in the living room until I say otherwise, got it?", she said with clear panic in her voice. He nodded a yes and continued to stare into space as panic started to set in place. As she was about to leave, her sister, Marsha, bumped into her.
"You don't think it was him, do you?", Marsha asked.
"It can't be. They took him away. He's suppose to stay in there, away from us.", she whispered and proceeded to the kitchen. Her sister followed closely on her trail.
"He could have gotten out. Think of it Ned is gone, the man he hated the most. Now a note came saying JoJo is practically marked for death. The one he swore he would kill along with Ned.", she said, trying to keep up with Sally's quickening pace. Once they got to the kitchen, the two sisters notice their other sisters were there along with her mom and brother-in-laws.
"I suggest you call the insane asylum, to make sure he's still in the crazy house.", Sally's sister, Isabel, said. She nodded in agreement when a hand landed on her shoulder.
"You want me to do it for you sweetie", her mom asked. She shook her head and proceeded to the phone.
"I need to hear it for myself.", she said, "I won't be able to believe it if I hear it from anyone else." She took the phone to the bedroom for more privacy. Her hand shook as she dialed the number for the Whoville insane asylum and brought the phone to her ear. After a couple of rings, someone finally picked up the phone.
"Hello, you have reached the Whoville Insane Asylum. Officer Char speaking. Who is speaking?"
"Sally McDodd."
"Oh! Ms. McDodd, how may I help you?"
"You damn well know how you can help me. Is he out or not?" There was chilling silence as Sally awaited his answer.
"Yes.", he whispered. She almost dropped the phone once that word left his lips. Her loose grip tightened, almost to a point of breaking the phone.
"Why the hell did you let him out? He's supposed to stay there and rot!"
"We didn't let him out, ma'am. He escaped."
"H-how is that possible!? Nobody has ever broken out of the insane asylum before!"
"We know. We have looked around the cell and saw everything perfectly fine. No holes, no nothing. We think it was an inside job. A double agent probably let him out."
"When did this happen?"
"A couple of days before Mayor Ned McDodd was killed."
"And I was never told this because…..?", her voice trailed off.
"We thought we could find him before anything happen."
"Well, I guess its to late for that!", she said sarcastically, "Just call me, if you find anything else. Can you at least do that before someone else gets killed?"
"Will do, ma'am." Once she hung up the phone, she dropped it and collapsed on her bed. She threw her hands onto her face to cover her eyes as she tried to regain control of her thoughts.
Back with JoJo
JoJo sat on the long couch, waiting news or anything that can tell him what the hell is going on. His blank stare never let the floor as he tried to make sense of everything that just happened. After five minutes, someone ran to the living room and tried to enter but instead slid on the hard wood floor further down the hall. Then a loud crash followed which broke his train of thought. His gaze went straight to the sound, which came from the hallway outside the living room.
"Ow! Son of a bitch!", a girl's voice yelled in a cockney accent. JoJo easily knew it was her cousin, Tabby. Soon she showed at the entrance along with another one of his cousin, Zeke. Tabby still wore her black dress that ended at her knees with black and white strip knee-high socks still on and the blue ribbon was now tied up her black hair with green highlights. Zeke wore the same black suit as JoJo with a blue tie just without the jacket. He had brown hair and blue eyes, while she had green eyes. They walked up to JoJo and sat down next to him, one on each side. They sat in silence until someone spoke up.
"Do you have any idea who would want you dead?", Zeke asked.
"No idea.", JoJo responded, sounding still in a daze.
"What about that Vonfrood fellow? Don't he and your dad fight a lot? He could have done it."
"But what about JoJo? Why would he want him dead?", Zeke said.
"JoJo and Vonfrood's son fight a lot, right?! Its like the new generation in the making!", Tabby exclaimed as she broke the serious atmosphere of the room. She then slammed her fist into her hand a little too hard which cause her to wince in pain and shake her hand to numb the pain. The two boys rolled their eyes at her.
"Yo! Biscuits! Whatcha doin'?" Everyone looked toward the voice and saw their cousin, Valerie. She had on a similar dress as Tabby but with longer sleeves. Her blue ribbon was still tried around her arm and her brown hair was still in a bun but a few strands escaped.
"Thinking of suspects who would wanna kill me.", JoJo said.
"Cool! I wanna help." Valerie walked over to couch and plopped down on the arm rest. "So what unlucky bastards have we thought of so far?"
"Vonfrood and his son.", Zeke said.
"Hey, JoJo. I overheard your mom talking to the insane asylum. Do you have any idea why?" He shook his head.
"I kind of have a theory, maybe.", Tabby said as all eyes were on her, "Maybe a psycho escaped and is now after JoJo." They sat in silence as they thought the idea over for a minute.
"Nah.", Everyone, except Tabby, said in unison.
"What? Think about it. It could happen.", she said, defending her idea.
"No, you think about. No one, repeat no one, has ever escaped from that place. Its like impossible.", Valerie said.
"They said the same with Alcatraz and looked what happened. Not one, but three, escaped. So don't shoot down my idea so fast."
"I guess she's right. Lets kept it on the list.", JoJo said.
"Keep what on the list?", Sally asked.
"Oh shit!", Valerie yelled in shock as she fell back off the arm rest and landed with a large thud. She got back up and poked her over the arm rest. She notice that her aunt stood there with her arms crossed and her eyebrow cocked up, waiting for her to say something.
She smiled sheepishly and said, "I mean shoot?" Valerie stood up straight and sat next to Tabby.
"Don't worry I won't tell your mom about that slip.", Sally said as she walked up to the four teens.
"Thanks Aunt Sal! You know you were always my favorite!", she said as she gave Sally a bear hug.
"I thought Isabel was your favorite.", Zeke said, leaning back on the couch.
"Her too."
"So what were you guys doing before I came?", Sally asked as she sat on the coffee table that was in front of the couch.
"Thinking of suspects who would wanna whack off JoJo.", Tabby said.
"Well, who have you thought of so far?"
"Vonfrood and his son, could be behind this.", Zeke said.
"And there's Tabby's crazy theory.", Valerie said, pointing over to her cousin.
"Its not crazy.", Tabby said defending her idea again, "Remember! Alcatraz!"
"Tell me what it is. It might not be.", Sally said.
"Well, Val heard you on the phone with the insane asylum, so maybe a psycho escaped and is now after JoJo."
"Well, that's the closest you're going to get."
"Huh?", everyone said in unison.
"Come with me.", she said as she started for the hallway, "You are all old enough to know, 'specially you JoJo." She led the teens to her bedroom and motions them to sit anyway. Tabby and JoJo sat on the floor near the bed. Zeke leaned on a dresser at the corner of the room, while Valerie sat Indian Style on the bed, leaning on the head board. Sally sat on the edge on the bed and stared at the floor. Everyone stared at her, waiting for her to tell them what is going on. They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"How am I going to tell JoJo without him feeling I'm dumping this on him all at once?", Sally thought to herself. She had to tell them soon, she will never know when he will strike next.
"So?", JoJo said, trying to break the uncomfortable silence, "Whatcha wanna tell us Mom?"
"Well, JoJo, I don't really know how to tell you this.", Sally said.
"Just tell me. It can't be that bad.", he said, smiling at his mom.
"Ok then. JoJo, Ned really wasn't your dad. Your real father name is Kevin Barker."
A/N: Moohahahahahaha! Ok I've decided to save the explanation for the next chapter! I know I'm evil. XP I'm going to post up the next chapter later today or something, so you people that are curious won't suffer long. Until next time! Read and review! Reviews=Love! Or hate.... depends what you leave. XD