"Goddamnit, I hate this game!"
"Because you don't plan out your moves," Alex said. He and Adela were playing a game of chess in their cabin.
Bea sat nearby and watched the game. Ade, the reason you lost to Bertha is because you didn't plan everything out, she said telepathically through her Gardevoir.
"He didn't even make it past Aaron!" Adela said, moving her queen. "This planning thing only works in-"
"Checkmate," Alex said, grinning. "You know the deal, loser buys dinner."
Adela glared at the boy and whacked him across the face. "No. Freakin. Way."
"Darn it, Adela," Alex muttered, rubbing his cheek. "You hit hard!"
Bea let out a silent giggle. I'll pay for dinner. I got a whole lot of cash beating this one rich kid, so yeah.
"Guysguysguys!" Rose said, bursting into the cabin. "Looklooklook!"
Adela sighed. "What is it, Rosie?"
Rose grabbed the older girls' arms and dragged them out the cabin. "Hereherehere!"
"This better be good," Alex muttered, putting on his jacket. He followed the girls out of the cabin, stopping only to get Adela's and Bea's jackets.
"LET GO!"
"Nonono!"
"At least let me get my jacket!" Adela yelled just when Alex stuffed her jacket in her face. "Thank you," she muttered, putting in on.
The group found themselves in a crowded area of the town, just a stone's throw from their cabin. A boy wearing a black cloak stood in the middle of the crowd, bowing to the audience. A top hat, a long box, and a wand showed that he was a magician. A tall girl stood next to him, shivering in her white jacket. She was holding on to a wooden doll.
"Aw! We missed it!" Rose whined, crossing her arms. "He put up a good show, too..."
Adela sighed. "You brought us here to see a magician," she said, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, Rosie. It's all cheap tricks and mirrors."
"It's more than that," the magician said, walking up to the group. "This is real." He raised his hand, and a hole opened up under Adela. She fell right through it.
Alex's eyes widened. "Adela!" he yelled, but the hole closed and Adela was out of sight. "What did you do to her?"
"Absolutely nothing," the magician said, putting on his top hat. "She expected that to happen." He looked at the girl next to him, who was playing with her doll.
Alex clenched his fist and lunged at the magician, but some invisible force surrounded him, making him immobile. "Bring her back," he said. "Bring her back, or else I'll kill you."
The magician sighed. "My, my... What a protective boyfriend," he said, making Alex go red in the face. "Go back to your cabin, she'll be there."
Alex was soon mobile. He looked at Rose, then at Bea. "If she's not there, I'll kick your-"
"And if she isn't there, we'll be right here," the girl said, hugging her doll. "But she'll be there, right, Erod?"
Erod smiled. "She'll be there. Just trust me."
Rose sighed. "Never trust handsome men in top hats," she muttered, walking away with Bea. Alex glared at Erod for a while before following.
Once they were out of sight, Erod smirked. "She'll be there, but then she won't," he said, looking at the girl. "Isn't that right, Miss Ira?"
Ira smiled and took out another wooden doll out of her coat. "Of course, Erod. I never tell a lie."
-0-
"Adela!" Alex burst into the cabin, tripped on a shoe, and landed face-first on the wooden floor. "Ow."
Bea rolled her eyes. That's what happens when you rush, she 'said'.
"Shut up," Alex said, slowly getting up.
"Kuya, you should listen to Bea," Adela said from the other side of the room. She smiled and sighed. "She's smarter than she seems."
Alex blinked. "Who are you, and what happened to Adela?"