Red Crisis: Chapter Four

If someone were to tell me I’m really dumb right now for trying this, I’d agree with them, Lisa thought. Because, in all honesty, it is dumb.
The girls were sitting at the table, eating dinner with the rest of Cecelia’s family. Aurora, Cecilia’s sister, was talking about her trip down to the beach with some friends. Lisa and Cecilia listened quietly, every once in a while glancing at each other, as if to confirm they were actually going to do what they’d planned that afternoon.
“You girls are quiet tonight,” Mr. Crane remarked.
Lisa snapped her head up from her train of thought and gave a small smile. “Tired, that’s all. We had a long day today.”
“Oh, tell us about it,” Mrs. Crane encouraged.
“Well,” Cecilia began, “Lisa and I went riding after school and did some jumping practice. Lisa’s getting the hang of it real well!”
Lisa blushed. “Well, not really well, but pretty good for a back-country cowgirl.”
“Honest, she did a great job. Then we did some roping practice. That was fun!”
“Believe me,” Lisa said with a laugh, “I’m a much better roper than I am a jumper. It comes much more naturally to me!”
“Sounds like a fun day for both of you.” Mrs. Crane glanced at Cecilia. “Are you two going to watch a movie tonight?”
Cecilia shook her head. “No, I think we’re going to go to bed early.”
“Go to bed early?” Aurora exclaimed. “You two have been talking nonstop every night!”
This brought several laughs from the table.
After they’d done the dishes and played with Cecilia’s dog, Jake, the two girls bade everyone goodnight and went to the bedroom.
It was then that the plan went from being an idea to an action.
“Did you lock the door?” Cecilia asked for the hundredth time as they changed into their “adventure” outfits.
“Of course I did!” Lisa retorted. “I don’t think it would be a good idea if someone walked in while we’re changing, do you?”
Cecilia gave a nervous giggle and slipped on her blouse. “There, how do I look?”
Lisa studied the outfit as Cecilia twirled around to show it off. “Great. You look just like a jillaroo!”
“Jillaroo?” She echoed. “What’s that?”
“An Australian cowgirl.”
“Oh.”
Cecelia did look like a jillaroo. She sported a light brown Australian hat, with one side sticking up. Her short sleeved blouse was dark green, matching her khaki shorts. Her boots were a dark brown color and laced up to her ankles. She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail and her blue eyes looked especially mischievous. Her belt matched her hat. She was ready for adventure.
“My turn, what do you think of my outfit?”
Cecilia ooohed and ahhhed as Lisa did a twirl. “It’s so you!” She clapped her hands. “And so- so western cowgirl!”
Lisa had put on a blue shirt and a wheat head collar tie. Her hat was a dark chocolate brown color with a light brown headband and a golden kangaroo pinned to the side. Her split skirt was a dark blue and her belt brown. If only Mom could see what a good job I did making this outfit!
Her Mom wouldn’t approve if she knew what Cecilia and her were going to do next, though.
The girls climbed into bed and waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
At about eleven o’clock the last family member had gone to bed. “You ready for this?” Cecilia whispered.
Lisa nodded and shuddered. Here goes nothing.
If they were right, then they’d have a good excuse for sneaking out of the house at near midnight. If they were wrong… they were going to be in big trouble.
On light feet they tiptoed to the window, opened it and slid out. Lisa nearly yelped when she caught her skirt on the windowsill and fell into a scrub bush, but Cecilia put a hand to her mouth to keep her quiet.
It was dark out on the road. The sky was moonless, the streetlights dim. Everywhere they looked, the girls saw shadows.
“This is really creepy,” Lisa murmured. “Maybe… maybe we should go back.”
“This was your idea!” Cecilia chided. “Besides, if Mr. Dover really is a bad guy, the police should know. And we have to have proof!”
As scary as the mission they were on right now was, it would be ten times more frightening if they did turn out to be right. Lisa kept trying to convince herself that it was all a silly conclusion, that they’d find nothing. But then an odd, creeping feeling would come over her and she wouldn’t be so sure. Stop scaring yourself, Lisa! Just get to the school and end this.
It was a long walk to the schoolhouse without a bus ride. Lisa and Cecilia had to keep ducking behind bushes and buildings whenever a car chanced by. The last thing they needed to happen was someone ask them what they were doing out so late.
Two blocks left. One block left. The closer the schoolhouse was, the more Lisa began to sweat. She opened and closed her hands, dragged her feet. Anything to keep away from the schoolhouse. I can’t believe I thought this up, I’m terrified!
But Cecelia was right. There was no turning back now. How were they going to explain this to Cecilia’s parents if they came back home and told them they’d chickened out from their dangerous mission? She’d rather be wrong than a coward.
“We’re here.”
Cecilia’s voice stopped Lisa dead in her tracks. The dark red schoolhouse loomed in the night, the stars glistening in the background.
“Well, let’s look for a window to see if one’s opened.”
They split up and checked all the windows. Lisa went three-fourths of the way around before she spotted Cecilia waving her over.
“None of the ones I saw were unlocked,” she whispered to Cecelia. “Guess It’s not going to work after all.”
“That’s okay, I found one that was opened.”
Great. So much for that excuse.
Together the girls shoved the window open and stared into the classroom that Mr. Gerald had been teaching in hours before. The chairs were stacked on the desk and the formulas on the wall stared back at them.
“Well, let’s do this. You first.”
“No way!” Lisa shook her head. “You go in first!”
“I’ll go if you do it.”
“You do it, and then I will.”
In the end they drew straws and Lisa’s was the shortest. Cecelia hoisted her through the window and Lisa fell flat on her face in the classroom.
“Oww,” she sputtered. “Dang it, Cecelia. What are you trying to do, give me a face lift?”
“Sorry.”
Lisa rolled her eyes at Cecilia’s giggles, then leaned out the window and grabbed her hands. “Ready?”
Cecelia nodded and Lisa helped hoist her through the window. The minute she was in the room, Cecelia turned around and closed the window, locking it tight.
Lisa cocked her head a little and raised an eyebrow. “What did you do that for?”
“In case someone comes around. They’d be suspicious if they saw the window open.”
“Oh, smart.” Lisa nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”
The floorboards creaked in accusation of their deeds, the hallways glared down at them. Every misstep or sound sent them into each other’s arms.
After the third such incident, and with a good three hundred yards to go, Cecelia had had enough of the suspense. “Let’s just get this thing over with and find out if Mr. Dover is really a Mr. Diatchenko. The suspense is killing me!”
Lisa agreed. She’d had quite enough of this creeping around.
Hand in hand, “just in case,” as Cecelia put it, they marched down the hall and towards Mr. Dover’s classroom. Lisa opened the door and they tiptoed to the desk, their previous confidence forgotten in the moment of trial.
Cecelia reached for the desk drawer-- and stopped. “Maybe you should do it,” she suggested. “After all, this was your idea.”
Lisa considered arguing, but decided against it. “Okay.” Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the handle and yanked the drawer open.
There was a metallic click! Lisa glanced at Cecelia. “Stop creeping me out, this is scary enough.”
“Very funny, now you’re trying to scare me,” Cecelia accused.
Lisa stared at her. “What!” she exclaimed. “You’re the one making weird noises!”
“Are you sure about that?”
Lisa’s heart stopped. Cecelia’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. They turned around and looked dead on into the sights of a very unfriendly looking pistol.
“Now what do you suppose I’m going to have to do to keep you silent?”

Comments

  1. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I can't believe I have to wait a whole week to find out who found the girls! Auugh the torture! ;)
    Well done, as usual. Loved the outfits :D

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    1. Goal achieved: drive everyone crazy with cliffhanger. *Puts sunglasses on* B-) Glad you like it and I'm excited for next week, too! :D I had fun putting the outfits together. The girl who Cecelia is based off of created her outfit herself. I made Lisa's outfit. ;) Thanks for commenting!

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  2. EMILY!!!!!!! No, this is not possible! You did NOT just end here!!
    Augh! Okay, you did! Friday cannot come soon enough!

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    Replies
    1. Oh yes I TOTALLY DID just end there. B-) And YOU deserve it with all those stories you send me that end THAT WAY!!! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ;) Hehehehe. Glad you're enjoying it come back next week! Thanks for commenting. :)

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  3. Oh! The suspense is gonna kill me! AHHH! *ahem* sorry... ;)
    I liked when Lisa went though the window. "What are you trying to do, give me a face lift?" That was too funny!
    On pins and needles until the next chapter! :D

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    1. Megs, you have the same sense of humor I did! That was my favorite line, too! ;) And don't let the suspense kill you, or you won't be able to read it next week! ;) Thanks for commenting!

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    2. Did? You mean you've LOST that sense of humor? 0.o ;)
      Oh...good point. I guess I won't let it kill me. 'Cause I really wanna read what happens next! ;D

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    3. ...................... General Megs, DON'T QUESTION YOUR SUPERIOR or HER CHOICE OF WORDS! ;) She is permitted to SOMETIMES make typos! ;)

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    4. Uh.......SIR! YES SIR! I mean, um, ma'am... ;)

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    5. Excellent! Never do it AGAIN. ;)

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  4. Anonymous11/06/2015

    I saw that coming when I first started reading this chapter...looking down a pistol barrel AND you ending it there. -_- Mean Emily.
    And their outfits...so appropriate for an adventure. I mean, every girl needs a hat to hold on to when she has to run. It just looks and feels more epic! Oh, and boots are the ideal thing for sneaking quietly in... Just kidding, I really thought the descriptions of their clothing we're great! Definitely sounds like something I would have worn if I was their age and in their situation. :)

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    1. Why Lydia, why am I mean?? ;) Hahaha I love cliffhangers. Ya'll are going to hate me for the next chapter...

      It's funny everyone liked the outfit descriptions. That's the first time I spent any detail on an outfit, I did that because my friend "Cecelia" wanted her outfit to be very adventurous. ;) So I described her outfit best I could. Yes, both girls didn't think too far ahead when they put boots on. ;) And what's an adventurer without her/his hat? *Indiana Jones theme song playing* You have to have a hat!

      Thanks for commenting and glad you enjoyed! ;)

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  5. Of COURSE you ended with a cliff-hanger. *sigh* Us authors and the ways we have... ;)
    Awesome story...and looking forward to the next part!! (Although, I do have an idea who is holding them at gunpoint... B-)

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    Replies
    1. Don't you DARE say a word as to who it is or I'll send that "person" after you! ;) Glad you're enjoying! And of course we have to have cliffhangers, how else would we learn to draw our audience in? ;)

      Thanks for commenting!

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  6. Anonymous11/06/2015

    CLIFF HANGER!! Great Story! I'm really enjoying it!

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    1. Glad you are, A! Hope you come back for the next chapter! :)

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  7. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enough? :) How could you leave us there??? *tortured scream* I'll never make it to Friday.... ;)
    Wonderful, suspense filled story, Emily! I love it!!! :D

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    1. Well you better make it to this Friday or you won't get the next chapter! And might I remind you YOU LEFT OFF WITH HEATH DYING on fanfiction? You may want to update that story... B-)

      Thanks for commenting and glad you enjoyed!

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    2. It's Wednesday. Two more days. I might make it. :)

      Oh, yes, you are still hanging for that story aren't you? I have WAAAY to many stories going. *sigh* I guess I should just go ahead and kill the poor guy off.....*creepy laugh* Just kidding! (Maybe.)

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    3. DO NOT KILL HEATH OR I WILL DO SOMETHING TERRIBLE TO YOU!!!!! ;)

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    4. Like what??? B-) His life is in my hands....wahahahaha!!!

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    5. Hmmm... like not posting the next chapter of Red Crisis next week? B-)

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    6. Whoa! Faith, don't you dare kill of Heath! We love him and I need to have more Red Crisis!!

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    7. See Emily? You can't not post for Lauren and everyone else's sake! :) I'll work on the BV story, but I'm not making any promises about Heath's health... ;-D

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    8. Oh Faithhh, don't you see my brilliance? If you don't post the next chapter of your BV story then I won't post another Red Crisis, which means the angry mob will be coming after YOU. B-)

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    9. NOOOO!!! *hides in the closet* Okay, fine. I'm going to dig around for that long-lost Doc. :)

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    10. That's a good girl. B-)

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    11. *pouts* That's what you think... ;)

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