And here we go with another chapter. Brenna has gone now for the summer… I miss her already. Chris was too busy to be my wingman on this so…
Hello Lady Shawnee!
Hey Shawnee!
Hello Alexiss… hey Joey… What are you doing here?
Helping!
*crickets chirp*
*stares* Umm…. Thanks… On with the story
October 30, 2009
People walked through the halls, dressed in hats and face paint and strange clothes. Some wore wings, others wore capes, and others still wore funny coloured hair. It was the day before Halloween and it was the day the school celebrated it.
"Brenna why are all of these children dressed so oddly?" Athos asked as a girl dressed entirely in black with a snow white powdered face walked past with another girl dressed in bright blue and pink with large wings on her back.
"It's called Halloween. We all dress up in costumes and little kids go around to houses to collect candy. But it's always fun to dress up so we like to do it too." In her hand was a large black bag which she carried extra carefully. Athos looked at it curiously.
"Is that your costume in that bag?" She nodded with a wide smile.
"That's right. And that's why you were able to wear the clothes you arrived in. No one will think anything of it!" She stopped talking abruptly when a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her, lifted her, and spun her around. She squealed and swatted at the person holding her.
"Shawnee don't do that! You spooked me!" Shawnee giggled impishly and waved her bag at Brenna.
"I've got mine. And I see that you have yours. Have you seen the others yet?" When she shook her head, Shawnee frowned.
"Hopefully they get here… soon." Her voice trailed off as Jordan and Chris rounded the corner in full costume. Jordan wore his dark blue hockey coat over a black shirt and blue jeans and sneakers. In his hand, he held a black hard felt hat with a pair of white plumes, one large and one small. Chris was dressed in a light blue shirt and black jeans, sneakers as well, and his black hat was plumed with a large black feather overlapped by a smaller red one, almost looking like a splash of blood. Porthos and Aramis walked up from behind them, happily dressed in their own clothes. Porthos stretched with a loud content groan.
"It is good to be back in our clothes again!" Brenna rolled her eyes and chuckled.
"It's only for the day so enjoy it. Shawnee, don't we have something we have to do?" She prodded her in the back towards a washroom. Shawnee glared at her and grabbing her arm, dragged her through the door and leaving all the men standing there in surprise.
"My, that was… odd." D'Artagnan quipped as they watched the closed door. Aramis looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"These children are nothing if not odd. Has it taken you this long to notice?" The musketeer captain glared at the priest and opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by a cough. They turned as one to see that the girls had changed clothes.
Brenna was now dressed in black slacks with a drawstring and a white shirt with a blue button up blouse over it. On her head was another black hat, this one holding overlapping plumes of a large white feather and a small blue one. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail at her neck and she wore flat black slip on shoes.
Shawnee wore baggy brown pants and a white ruffled shirt with a calf length coat of dark blue cloth over it. Her boots were brown with black along the bottom from the toe tip to the heel and her black hat was set at a jaunty angle on her head, the large blue feather and the small white one looking a little shabby as if they had been played with often.
"What do you think gentlemen?" She asked nervously, pulling lightly on the hat brim. The four men shared a look and D'Artagnan stepped forward, sweeping her hair back from her shoulders.
"There. That's better." Shawnee shook her head and laughed.
"I'll take that as an approval I guess. Now let's wander!" They strode out into the foyer and Joey and Alexiss walked up to them. Joey had on a black hoodie with the hood pulled up over his face and black pants. He carried a tall plastic axe. Alexiss was dressed in blue jeans and a black shirt with a gray and black plaid hat on her head and her blue gloves.
"Morning Milady!" She said, jumping and landing in front of them. Shawnee pulled her hat further over her face.
"Told you don't call me that…" She muttered. Jordan laughed and poked her.
"Ha ha. She still hasn't learned."
"Shut up Jordan."
Groups of students turned and looked at the gathered group quietly, surprised to see so many people in like costumes. Brenna waved demurely, smirking.
"What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen musketeers before?" Chris asked to the crowd. The others all turned away and returned to their conversations. The bell rang and Alexiss looked at her watch in shock.
"Wow! Time flew! See you guys later!" Everyone split up hurriedly, not seeing a man walk into the building from the back doors down the hall.
McGillan watched as the students all wandered past him and he spotted the four men easily in their clustered group with the four teens. He frowned and watched them for a brief moment as the bell rang and they went their separate ways. Under his arm, he held a file folder filled with papers. His steps took him straight across the foyer to a blue doom with a metal plate labelled "Principal" and he rapped smartly on it with his knuckles.
"Come in." A voice called from within and he turned the silver knob to enter past the wooden barrier. An older woman sat at the dark brown wooden desk within, a pair of glasses perched on her nose. McGillan gave a warm smile and took a seat.
"Dr. McGillan this is a surprise. Is there something I can do for you?" She asked. He chuckled somewhat darkly and handed her the folder of papers.
"Actually there is Ma'am. I did a bit of research on the gentlemen you have welcomed into your school, the teachers here examining the school system I believe I've heard them called. I thought that of all people who could understand the gravity of what I found, it would be you."
She opened the folder to find a list of photos, under which was names, and frowned upon seeing nothing that would give reason to the man's visit.
"I am sorry but I do not see what it is."
"Exactly." He said with a smirk. "There is nothing there because they are not teachers. These are pictures all the teachers of those who teach high school level children within the vicinity of Paris. And if you look again," He flipped the pages slowly before her, giving time to examine them with more scrutiny.
"None of them match your guests."
Her frown deepened, her forehead crinkling with worry as she stared down at the pictures in silent thought. His smile widened at her expression but he quickly stifled it as she looked back up at him.
"What would you suggest?" He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the armrests and folding his fingers together.
"I would suggest you call the four students down and one at a time with their 'companions', bring them in and allow me to speak with them."
"I cannot let you do that. Not without parental supervision as all four of these teenagers are underage."
"I understand that Ma'am. But this could be a matter of danger for them. The time it would take getting permission from all of their parents would waste time we could have questioning them. Surely simply having you sit in would be sufficient?" His voice was full of charm and persuasion, playing on the 'danger' aspect he'd mentioned. She pursed her lips, glanced down at the pictures again and back up to the man before her. She stood and walked out the other door close to her, heading into the main office to quickly mutter a few words to the secretary.
"They should be here momentarily. I am having the secretary page them down from classes." Immediately after she said this, the announcement came over the PA system, sounding throughout the building. When the principal sat back down at her desk and began to work on the computer, he allowed a smirk to cross his features.
Feather bobbing as she walked, Shawnee strode towards the office with a strict frown, upset at being pulled from the history class. D'Artagnan marched alongside her, worriedly biting his lip. Something about his did not feel right to him.
"Shawnee, does this not seem odd to you in the slightest?" He asked. She shrugged and stopped in the middle of the foyer to look up at him.
"No why? Does it to you?" At his nod, she became puzzled and looked at the office warily.
"Well, there's only one way to find out. I can see the others already there. Let's go." She pushed open the glass door and Brenna looked up from her seat right beside, Athos standing against a map of the city bus routes that hung on the wall.
"Do you have any idea what's going on?" She whispered furtively. Shawnee shook her head and looked over at Chris and Jordan sitting on the other two chairs with Porthos and Aramis standing side by side against another portion of wall and halfway across the doorway into the back part of the office. The secretary talked into her telephone headset briefly then hung up once the call was finished.
A man walked out of the principal's office and Shawnee frowned, narrowing her eyes suspiciously as she recognized him as the presenter from the day before. She nudged D'Artagnan in the ribs and tipped her head to show him what had her attention. His lips tightened and he seemed suddenly a bit more alert, as seen by his stance, but there was almost nothing to show his surprise.
"Ah good day to you!" He said, extending a hand to her as he pushed past the two ex-musketeers blocking the doorway. She took his hand loosely, trying not to touch him. Something about him just made her want to wash her hands until they burned from the scrubbing. He smiled, a creepily charming smile, and gestured for her to walk into the principal's office.
"I just have a few questions for you Shawnee and your uncle if you would not mind answering them for me. Then you can get back to your class." She nodded, her mind whirring. Who had told him her name? D'Artagnan tucked his hands behind his back and marched behind the pair and was the last in the room as McGillan shut the door, sealing them in.
Mrs. Mills waved for them to have a seat and they did, Shawnee leaning forward in her seat and D'Artagnan crossing one leg over the other, tapping his fingers on the limb contemplatively. McGillan smiled again and half sat on the desk, staring at them for a moment.
"Dr. McGillan has brought something a little disturbing to my attention Shawnee and as you were the one to vouch for these gentlemen, I thought it would be appropriate to ask you." Mrs. Mills said calmly. Shawnee nodded, folding her hands and watching the scientist out of the corner of her eyes. D'Artagnan kept his head bowed but peered through some of the hair that had fallen into his vision to observe the man. His stance seemed prideful, eager for conflict.
Mrs. Mills handed the teen a file folder and she opened it to see many labeled pictures staring back at her. She flipped the pages with bored fingers, gave a yawn and closed it when finished.
"I do not see the problem Mrs. Mills." The woman looked to McGillan. He crossed his arms with a smirk and chuckled darkly.
"Young lady, your uncle is not a teacher. Those are the IDs of every teacher of high school level teens such as yourself within the area of Paris. Perhaps you would care to explain why that may be?" D'Artagnan sent Shawnee a sharp look as her cheeks blanched of all colour. She flipped hurriedly through the folders only to confirm the scientist's observations. She swallowed a hard lump in her throat and forced an amiable smile on her face.
"Dr. McGillan, my uncle here is just a curious man. He wanted to know how I spent my day and he happened to bring his friends with him who are the uncles of my friends and they wanted to know too." The excuse was weak, even she knew that, but under such duress it was the best she could think of. The musketeer captain flinched in his seat, seeing the scientist's eyes light up gleefully at her words, knowing that he could pierce through them in a heartbeat.
"Well if they are your uncles then perhaps you would not mind telling me your uncle's name?" He said with a victorious sneer. Her face lost all expression as her mind raced. Should she deny, it would prove that he was not her uncle at all but if she told, there would be more trouble than she cared to think about. She pursed her lips and the two of them glared at each other, one challenging; the other fighting against.
"His name is Charles." She muttered finally. McGillan chuckled and shook his head.
"His last name too, if you please." She ran her hands along the arms of the chair she sat in thoughtfully.
"His last name?" D'Artagnan bit his lip, watching the teen warily. McGillan's look became eager and impatient but something in his eyes said he already knew the answer.
"Now!" He yelled. Shawnee jumped and glared at him.
"Find it out yourself dumbass!" She leapt to her feet and picked up the chair by its arms, tossing it at the man furiously.
"Catch!" As he caught the chair but fell to the ground, the pair jumped over it to reach the door and flung it wide open, smashing it against the wall with a loud bang. They slid across the tile flooring behind the secretary's desk and everyone stopped to look up at them.
"We have to get out of here!" Shawnee screamed, running forward and grabbing at Brenna and Athos's sleeves. They remained still, looking at her in confusion.
"What do you mean? What happened?" Athos asked, looking back to the door. She growled and tugged harder.
"No time! Let's go!" Chris hopped to his feet, practically throwing Jordan and Aramis out the now opened office door and Porthos was given a push by D'Artagnan to set his feet moving. They stood grouped in the foyer, Shawnee peering around frightfully.
"There they are! Stop those men!" A voice yelled. McGillan was standing by the other door to the principal's office, pointing at them. The doors down the hallway and in front of them opened and a crowd of police came in.
"Run!" Shawnee cried, rushing towards the back of the school where more police were running towards the building from the back parking lot. She rounded the corner, the other seven hard on her heels, and she took the steps down into the cafeteria two at a time, stopping once when she slipped and almost went into the splits only to be grabbed on the arm by Porthos to steady her.
They burst into the large, low ceilinged room, panting and spinning around. Yelling sounded above them and footsteps pounded ever closer. Jordan glanced to the other end of the room to see the area where the line for the cafeteria would be.
"There's a door over there!"
"Come on!" They rushed for the door and poured in as the police made it to the cafeteria. Hearts jumping in their throats, they ran through another door into a narrow white stone hall leading off towards another part of the school.
"Is this a secret passage?" Aramis asked curiously then snarled as he was jabbed in the ribs by Chris.
"Not exactly. We're behind the cafeteria kitchen. I don't know where it leads though as I've never worked my way around it."
"Then we take the chance." Brenna stated firmly and pushed past her to walk down the hall. As she passed the open door that led into the kitchen, no one pointed her out or yelled at her to get out. No one even noticed her.
"It's a dead end!" Brenna whispered back angrily. "We're in a passageway to no where!" Shawnee frowned and looked back to see even angrier stares.
"At least we're hidden…" She muttered quietly, looking at the ground. Jordan cracked open the door and snapped it shut again as the other door across the small room they had been in before began to open.
"Not for long! They're coming through."
"Then we go through the kitchen!" Chris pushed past the others, getting angry pained cries as they squished themselves against the wall to let him by and followed him as they barreled through the kitchen, causing one of the ladies to drop a try of hot food and another to toss scoopfuls of salad as they gave her scare when they passed her suddenly.
"There they are!" A male voice called and the kids and men ran as fast as their legs could carry them out and up the stairs then up another set just around the corner, taking them to the second floor. The halls up there were deserted and eerily quiet as they kept walking, panting and whipping around at the slightest sound.
"What do we do now?" D'Artagnan asked quietly. It seemed almost wrong to speak loudly now, even if there was no one around.
"We have to get out of here." Shawnee panted, resting her hands on her knees as they stopped by the French rooms. Brenna crossed her arms and glared at her.
"And how do you propose we do that captain?"
"My suburban is by the auto shop." Chris said suddenly. "We can get out through there."
"Yeah…. And I've got that damn minivan." Shawnee said as she brushed hair from her face. "We just may be able to pull it off."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Porthos demanded, punching a fist into his other palm, eager for a fight.
"It is a sensible plan." Aramis agreed.
"Except for one thing." Jordan put in. "Where are we going to go if we run?"
"I can think of one place." Shawnee said with a determined frown. "But let's focus on getting out of this hellhole first. Last thing we want is that damn scientist getting his hands on any of these guys."
"You're right." Brenna said, pondering. "Then let's get going to the shop. From the sounds of it, we don't have much time to spare!"
Athos nodded in agreement, raising a hand to scratch at his neck when Brenna grabbed his wrist suddenly.
"Athos what's wrong with your hand?!" He gave her a strange look then yanked his hand away from her grip only to stare at it. It had grown exceedingly pale and if he squinted slightly, he could see the tiles under his feet through the skin. Shawnee pressed hand to her face in exasperation.
"Well… Now we have an even better reason to get out of here. If we don't get you guys home soon, it looks like you're going to fade away!"
Chapter's over. Hope you liked it.
I hate McGillan. He's an ass.
Yeah… We all know that Joey. Anyhow, thanks to Kimyco for the only review.
That's me!
Yes Alexiss that is you. See you all next time