Up to no Good (chapters 1-10)

                                      Chapter 1

    Deep in the woods on the top of the highest and thickest tree, there is a treehouse...  We built this together on Nick's 10th birthday.  He was the youngest of all us and of course we had all already turned 10.  This was where we spent most of our summer and even during the school year.  That was four years ago.  We still come here during the summer.  Every summer for four years.  All of us, Jessica, David, Alex, Nick, and Shawn.  We've stuck together all though junior high, and we have always been there for each other.  But, this summer was different.  Although, none of us knew it yet.  You see, two summers ago, we made Jessica's older brother mad.  He is the leader of one of the most feared gangs.  We live in a small own where everyone knows each other.  Yeah, there are still gangs, and we don't live in a city.  It's kind of scary when u think about it.
    We were all sitting in the treehouse during the second week of summer vacation.  Jessica was laying on the couch drawing a picture of David.  Drawing is her passion.  Her baby blue eyes looked back and fourth from David to the picture.  She had her long, perfectly straight, tick blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail with a black hair tie just like every day.  Very few people ever saw her with her hair down.
    David, Alex, and Shawn were sitting around the table playing cards.  David's misty blue eyes were staring at his cards.  He ran his hand trough his short, dirty blonde hair.  David's what yu would call medium-sized.  His brother was also in the same gang Jessica's was.
    Alex's light brown eyes were staring at David's face.  His thick, dark brown hair was swiped out of his eyes.  He had broad shoulders and was a very scrawny, bony boy.
    Shawn's long brown hair fell into his eyes.  His dark brown eyes looked through thick,black-rimmed plastic glasses.  He was trying to see a look of despair in his opponent's eyes.
    Nick sat in the corner watching everyone.  His hazel eyes were trying to pick out which card layer would win.  His hair was the shortest of everybody's and it was brown.  He was chubby and on the baseball team.  His older brother was also in the gang, but he wasn't as important as the other two.
    Everybody put their cards on the table.  Shawn yelled in triumph, "You lose, Alex.  You're outta here!"
    Jessica pulled up her feet so Alex could sit down. Alex strained his neck up to see what Jessica was drawing and asked, "Hey, Jess, watcha drawing?"
    Jessica turned it around and showed them teh picture of David.  Everyone "ooed" and "aahed" at it.
    "That's good.  It looks l ike a professional had drawn it," Alex complimented.
    "Thanks," Jessica said and bent her head down in embarrassment to keep drawing.
    "Let's take a walk down to the mini market," Nick suggested.  They all stood up and walked down the ladder to start to the market.  Jessica's brother's gang was hanging around casually outside the treehouse.  With a nod of his head, each member grabbed each one of them.  They cried out in pain, and each of them felt a sharp, quick ain in their arms.  Then, everything went black.  Not one person walking by seemed to see anything.

                                          Chapter 2

    It was a very hot, dry, sandy place.  Nothing but sand for miles.  Jessica opened her eyes, blinked a few times, and rubbed them hard with her fists.  She sat straight up, waking up Nick.  He looked around, screamed, and woke everybody else up.
    "Where are we?" Nick demanded.
    "I'm not sure," David admitted.
    "I guess when Danny said he'd get us back, he wasn't kidding," Alex said.
    "You think?" Jessica snapped.
    "Does anybody have any water?" Nick asked.  Every single "no" that was heard brought down everyone's hearts.
    "But wait.  There's a bag here with a bunch of crap in it," David said.  He pulled out a handful of snack cakes and one single bottle of water.
    "How long d'ya think we're gonna be here?" Shawn asked while staring at the one, single bottle of water and then at the hot sun.
    "Our parents will probaably report us missing.  Knowing Danny, he'll try to hold out as long as he can until the police turn to him," David answered.
    "I don't think he wants us dead," Jessica said silently.
    "You think he's going to take pity on us?" Shawn demanded.
    "We really ticked him off.  He wants us to suffer as much as possible," David answered.
    "Jess, you're his sister.  I don't think he'd wanna kill you," Nick said smiling slightly.
    "Wanna bet?" Jessica said.
    "Come on," David said, "Le's try to find some more water."
    "Right on David my man.  Let's try to look on the brightside.  Travel across this piece of death and look for life. Right on," Shawna said sarcastically.
    "Remember, we only have one bottle of water and five people," David warned. "Try not to fool around with it."
    David always took charge in situations..  Well, he pretty much is the leader of our little gang.  We don't do anything bad.  Well, we don't kill anyone or torture anyone.  That's what gangs like Danny's do.
    "I'm missing a baseball game," Nick complained.
    "Shut up Nick!" we all yelled back at him.
    "I'll carry the bag," David volunteered while picking it up and slinging it across his shoulder.
    A bottle fell out of the bag and fell silently on the sand barely noticed.  Jessica bent and picked it up.  "I can't believe it," she grumbled.
    "What?" David asked, coming over to her side.
    "He gave us sun-block," Jessica said with a snort.
    "He wants us to survive more than one day or else we wouldn't suffer enough," Alex said.
    "We might as well put some on and get going," David said, "if we're going to survive, we'll need water."
    "What about shelter?" Jessica asked.
    "We'll need to find that too," David replied.
    "Yes, David, Mr. Almighty," Shawn replied sarcastically.
    They rubbed the sun-block on every piece of skin abailable to the sun's danger.  David and Alex were in jeans.  Jessica, Nick, and Shawn were in shorts.  They stood up and begon the long Progression of Doom.
    They walked on for maybe ten minutes in total silence when suddenly Nick said, "I need a drink."
    "Not now," David said, "we need to save it."
    "They're probably looking for us back home," Alex said, staring straight ahead.

                                              Chapter 3

    Back at home, the parents were getting a little worried.  Nick's mom, Shawn's mom, and Jessica's mom had already called the Police.  Jessica's mom, Alice, called David's mom, Jen, to get some more information.
    "Hi, Jen.  Has David gotten home yet?"
    "No, he hasn't.  I saw a police car on its way to your house."
    "Yeah, Jessica's not home either."
    "Don't you think you're being a bit paranoid?"
    "Danny's home.  He never gets home before Jess."
    "Molly called.  She said Shawn's missing too."
    "Something's up, but I gotta go.  The Police won't do anything because of the whole 24-hour thing, but they want to talk and get pictures.  Listen, if David's not home in four hours, you should call the Police too."
    "Fine. Buh-bye."
    Alice turned towards the Policeman. "That was a close friend. Her son is very close friends with Jess.  He's missing too."
    "Hmmm.  That could be something ma'am.  Is your daughter in any kind of gang?" The officer asked.
    "What?" Allice exclaimed, "she's 14. Did you not hear me?"
    "I see.  Is she in any trouble with one of the gangs around here?"
    "How am i supposed to know?" Alice asked exasperated. "If you guys did your job, there wouldn't be gangs in our small little town."
    "Does she have any enemies?"
    "No, I don't think so."
    "Was your daughter angry with you about anything when she left today?"
    "What's that supposed to mean?" Alice demanded angrily.
    "Well, ma'am, I've seen this before.  Kids run away all the time.  It's-"
    "My daughter did not run away!  There is no where for her to run away to anyhow," Alice fumed.
    "Why don't I just get one of her most fecent pictures, and then Ill get back to the station?"
    "Ok, I have her school picture here,"
    "Thank you.  Call if she turns up."
                                            .........................
    Danny was sitting in his room listening to his mother talk to the police.  He was still sitting there when 10:00 came around, and his mother was panicking with the phone attached to her ear.  She very recent acquired the information that David, Alex, Nick, and Shawn were all missing also.
    "They're never gonna find 'em," Danny laughed to himself.  He had been planning this all summer and exected everything to go exactly the way he thought it would.  For the past five months, he had been saving up money.  He used some of it to buy the ingredients to make the sleeping shot.  He used the rest, plus some from his other gang members, and bought plane tickets.  He loaded Jessica, David, Alex, Nick, and Shawn into five different luggage bags.  He shoved them above his head in the plane.  He didn't want them to die.  He wanted them to suffer, and death, he though, would put a stop to their suffering.  He wanted them to pay for what they did to him.
    His mother threw open the door, interrupting his thoughts. "Oh, Danny," she said trying hard not to leak out more tears, "I don't imagine what kind of sick freak has poor Jessie.  Are ou absolutely sure you didn't see her?"
    "Positive Mom.  She's probably just hiding somewhere with her freak friends."
    "Yeah, yeah, you're probably right," Alice said, trying to reassure herself.
    "Get some sleep, Mom."
    "No, I can't.  I-I'll just stay up 'till i doze off."  She left, leaving Danny alone with his thoughts again.

                                          Chapter 4

    They walked until Nick just collapsed.  The sun had finally went down, leaving them all with a cool shade.
    "Exactly how long d'ya suppose he'll leave us here 'afore he decides to tell the Cops?" Nick asked, heaving.
    "Dunno, he's too stupid to expect that we'll eventually die," David replied.
    "You don't think he'll leave us here for a week," Jessica said while pulling her hair into the black hair tie again.
    "Probably not.  I'd say four days max," David said optimistically.
    "You know," Jessica said, "if we're here too long, we might have to eat Nick in order to stay alive."
    "Ha, ha, Jess, funny,"  Nick replied sarcastically, "Hey, why me? Why not you?"
    "You'd feed all of us plus leftovers," Jessica replied.
    "Are you confirming Shawn's theory that I'm fat?" Nick asked.
    "Hey, Nick, it was no theory. It was fact," Shawn replied.
    "Screw you Shawn," Nick grumbled.
    "Let's see, who's hungry?" David asked pulling out some star-crunch bars.  Everyone raised their hands and David handed out the food.
    "Great, chocolate," Nick said, while stuffing his mouth.
    "Ya know, I just thought of something funny. Wanna hear it Nick? Well-"
    "Shut up Shawn.  I don't wanat you and Nick going at each other.  We've only been here for a day and you two need to keep your mouths shut and try as hard as you can, and harder, not to tick each other off. Ok?" David said.
    "Fine," Nick replied.
    "Ok, David the Mighty," Shawn replied.
    "Don't tick me off either," David warned.
    "Fine," Shawn grumbled.
    "Great, this is going so great," Alex said while scribbling in the notebook he found in the bag, "we're all probably dead anyway.  I don't understand why I have to keep track of everything that happens to us."
    "Cuz I wanna look back at this when I'm seventy and remember why I put myself away from humanity," Shawn said with one of his I'm-a-comedian grins.
    "I'm not even gonna say anything to that," David replied.
    "What time is it?" Nick asked.
    "Do I look like Father Time to you?" Jessica snapped.
    "You would if his name was hot mama time," Shawn said with a smile.
    "You are so cheesy," Jessica mumbled.
    "Aw, it's not even a little funny?" Shawn asked with a pout.
    "Nada," Jessica replied.
    "Well, whatever time it is it's probably late, so let's sleep and walk some more when we get up," David said.
    No one argued with him and were secretly glad to have had someone suggest sleep.  It was a pretty quiet night and didn't take them that long to finally fall asleep.
                                        .................................
    The bright sunlight woke Alex up early.  He didn't tell everybody that the backpack had actually been his.  They must have forgotten that he was wearing it when they walked to the store.  He did love to write, and that's why he had the notebook in the backpack.  He wrote all the time.  He couldn't draw a thing.  Drawing was Jess's thing.  He had once entered a book writing contest with her.  He had been hiping beyond hope to impress her.  Jess was all about the drawing though.  She didn't notice the impression he was trying to make on her.
    Nick gave a deep grunt in his sleep, pulling Alex out of his thoughts for a second as he ade a startled jump.  He laughed to himself.
    "A bit paranoid don't cha think?"
    Alex jumped again and turned his head to see David.  "David, I didn't know you were awake."
    "Didn't slee too great. You?" David said.
    "The sun's too bright," Alex replied.
    "Yeah, sometimes a great big ball of fire can be like that," David said, looking up towards the sun, but not right in it.
    "Uh-huh," Alex replied.
    "Let's wake up everyone else.  We gotta get goin. We should make a lot of mileage before the hottest part of the day comes," David said.
    David kicked the bottom of everyone's shoe to wake them up..
    "We gotta go alaready?" Nick asked groggily.
    "Yes, Nick, we can't survive in direct sinlight for a couple of days.  We also can't survive on one bottle of water," David replied.
  "What about breakfast?" Nick grumbled.
    "You offerin' yourself?" Shawn shot back.
    "No, I'm just-"
    "I do not wanna hear the words food or hungry come outta you Nick. Understand?" David asked.
    "Yeah, ok," Nick replied angrily.
    "He'll find something else to complain about," Jessica said, brushing a bit of sand off of her shorts.
    "Let's go. I don't wanna get caught up in the hottest part of the day with no shelter," David said, taking authority.
    "Yeah, like we're gonna find anything," Shawn grumbled.
    "We've got to," Alex replied.
                                  ................................
    Back at home, the Police had started questioning some people.  They had already questioned the neighbors and were now questioning Danny.
    "I normally don't see my sister 'till we eat.  It's not like I watch her constantly.  I mean, that'd be a bit creepy don't cha think Officer?" Danny spoke with an air of arrogance about him.
    "Yeah, ok, you can go." the Officer replied after not getting too much out of Danny.
    They hadn't gotten much out of anybody.  That David kid's mom seemed a bit hapy he was gone  They questioned Davids brother and got pretty much the same answers as he got with Danny.  Jessica's and Nick's mother, Raachel, seemed to break down sobbing every time he tried to ask them anything.  Alex's mom, Amy, just kind of stared out the window like her son would come walking up any second.  Shawn's mom was bizarre.  She looked at them with dreamy eyes and said that she knew this was going to happen because she saw it in a dream.  She told them that her name was Molly and demanded them to eat the cookies she made.  They left her house rather quickly
   
                                          Chapter 5

    The hottest part of the day came and still they found no shelter.  David went on, grumbling about emergency shelters in unpopulated places.  Thankfully, he let them all rest.  The sweat was rolling off of each of them, and their cheeks had a pink tint to them even though they kept reapplying sun-block.  The sun never left behind a cloud, threatening them with sun burn or worse and taunting them with the fact that water was nowhere nearby, except for the one single bottle of water that was already a quarter of the way empty.  They walked on and on, a walk that could lead to their death or shelter with some water.  Jessica pulled the notebook out of the backpack on David's back.
    "What are you doing?" David asked.
    "We need something to do instead of slowly incinerating under this sun," she replied.
    "So, what are we gonna do?" Alex asked, looking curious.
    "We're going to play Mash," she said while writing down everyone's names except her own.
    For those who don't know, Mash is a game you play on paper to see a pretend future.  There are a lot of different ways in which to play, but all of them are basically the same concept.  You put down different things such as jobs, cars, pets, kids, etc.  You put down enough in each of the categories for however many people were playing. 
    They all looked at the paper once they had finished the game.  "Well, David," Shawn said, "I hope you and Jess come visit me in Kansas. I wish you two a long, happy relationship."
    "Could you imagine Nick being an actor though?" Jessica exclaimed.
    "Hey! Why couldn't I be an actor?" Nick asked, doing a couple twirls in the sand.
Everyone laughed, including Nick.
    "Nick, you never told us what you got for your birthday," Jessica said, putting the notebook back in the backpack.
    "Well, finally after bugging my mother for five months, I got an Ipod.  Now, I just gotta get songs on it.  I got tons and tons of clothes.  I hate clothes," Nick replied.
    "Why?" Jessica asked curiously.
    "I'm not a clothes kinda guy.  Anyway, I got a baseball, bat, and glove set.  I couldn't use it since I missed my game.  We probably lost," Nick complained.
    "Yeah, without you there to strike out every time you get up to bat is a big loss," Shawn said sarcastically.
    "Yeah, well-"
    "Hey, didn't I tell you two not to start?" David demanded angrily.
    "For my birthday," Shawn started to break the tension, "I got an MP3 player without having to bug my mom at all. A brand new stereo since David and Alex blew up my last one."
    They all thought back to that day.  David and Alex were tossing a baseball back and fourth.  Shawn was laying on his bed, and Nick was staring at the tv.  Jessica wasn't there yet.  Alex saw Jessica out the window and threw the ball too hard when he was trying to point.  David tried to catch the ball and bumped into Shawn's stereo, which fell out of the window.  It landed and exploded right beside Jessica.
    "Oh," Shawn continued, bringing them all back from the memory, "I got clothes, too.  Parents seem to love getting them for their kids."
    "I didn't get much clothes," Jessica said sourly.
    "What did you get then?" Nick demanded.
    "I got a pool.  It's more of a 'family' pool than a 'just me' pool, though.  I got an ipod, a laptop, and a few other small things," Jessica rambled through her whole birthday list without a pause.
    "Geez, you always outdo us.  Don't ya?" Shawn said.
    "Let's get a move on guys. We're slacking," David said.

                                                Chapter 6

    Alice was sitting at the kitchen table talking to a Policeman, "It was yesterday morning before she went out with her friends.  She always does that after breakfast and doesn't come home until supper."
    "What about the girl's father?"
    "He died when Jess was five," Alice said, tearing up a little.
    "I'm so sorry," the Officer said full of sympathy.
    "It's fine as long as Jessie doesn't follow in his footsteps," Alice said, coming out a little harsher than she would have liked.
    "Yes, well, we'll do our best," the Officer reassured the grieving mother.
    "Are we dont yet? I would like to be alone now."
    "Of course," the Officer said standing up, "bye now."
    As soon as he left, Alice got up and began pacing the house.  Her phone was tapped, so the Police listened to every call she got.  She realized that it was too painful to be alone in her house.  Alice watched all of the "Law and Orders" and "Without a Traces" so she knew a lot about some of the reasons people are missing.
    She decided that a good walk might help her calm her nerves a bit.  She got up, put on a pair of shoes, and walked out the door ignoring the policecar in the driveway.  She didn't exactly know where she was going, but her mind seemed to because before she knew it, she was standing in front of her mother's house, sho she hadn't talked to in a couple of years.
    Alice walked up the stairs onto the porch and knocked on the door, her heart pounding.  The door was opened by Tanya, Alice's mother, Jessica's grandmother.
    "Mom, I need to talk to you about poor, poor Jessie."
    "Honey, what is it? Come in," Tanya said, motioning with her hand.
                                    ........................................
    Jen was standing on her porch talking to the same Police Officer as Alice had been earlier.
    "Does your son have any enemies that you know of?"
    "Probably, I don't know of any though," Jen said scowling.
    "Why do you say 'probably'?"
    "Not many people seem to like him.  He always gets into trouble at school.  You know, that sort of stuff," Jen replied shrugging.
    "When was the last time you saw your son?" the Officer prodded.
    "I saw David yesterday morning before I left for work."
    "Was he acting strange at all?"
    "Not that I could tell.  I was in a hurry."
    "Who does your son normally hang out with?"
    Jen thought for a moment before replying, "Ummm.... Jessica Nickols, Alex Thompson, Nick Sanders, and Shawn Rider."
    "Did you know that they're all missing too?"
    "I knew Jess was, but not the other three."
    "Do they hang out together every day?"
    "Yeah, every single day.  Listen, my husband's coming home and I need to talk to him. So?" Jen said motioning toward the door.
    "Ok, that's fine.  I'll be back though," the Officer said, putting the cap back on the pen he was holding in his hand.
    David's dad had in fact just pulled into the driveway at that time.  "The Police were here?" he asked the second he walked through the front door.
    "Yes, asking about David," Jen replied nervously.
    "Did you talk to them?" he demanded from her.
    "Yes, duh," Jen replied looking at her husband like he was stupid.
    "Why would you do that?"
    "Do you want them to suspect us?" Jen demanded.
    "They're gonna turn your words into something completely different and suspect us anyway! That boy did this on purpose I guarantee it! He has ruined our lives every since he started school! I do nto want you talking to those Cops anymore! Do you hear me? That boy is not gonna have us locked up," he roared through the house.
    "Yes, calm down," Jen demanded.
    "Calm down?" he roared, "calm down!"
    "I'm going to the store.  I do not want to hear this!"
                                    ........................................
    Amy was planted in front of the window answering the Police's questions.
    "So," the Officer began, "your son's father?"
    "He's at work most of the time. He's a doctor, so his job's very demanding," Amy answered in what seemed to be a bored voice, but the Officer took it as a voice full of worry and grief that just seemed dead.
    "Did he act like anything was wrong the last time you saw him, which was yesterday morning? Right?"
    "Yes, and no he didn't act any different.  He went out with his friends at 10:00 like any other day."
    "Is your son in any trouble? Or does he have any enemies?" the Officer dreaded asking this woman that particular question but he knew it needed asked.
    "No, Alex was-is a good boy," she corrected herself midsentence, realizing she almost wrote her son off as dead.
    "Ok, ma'am.  I'm gonna go now and I'll talk to you later."
    Amy walked up to Alex's room and sat on his bed.  She ruffled through a few drawers, trying to find anything out of the ordinary that might give her a clue. However, she found nothing. Her husband walked through the door and yelled up to her. Amy ran down the stairs and flung herself into her husband's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
                                      ....................................
    Rachel was trying very hard to keep herself together when she was talking to the Police.  She knew something was wrong when Nick didn't show up for his game.  She was very close to her son and he told her everything. Rachel shooed the Police away and grabbed her credit card. She always goes shopping when she gets upset. Her husband got a little ticked, but it was the only thing that calmed her down, except for talking to her son. She took her eldest son Michael with her for some company.
    "Have you seen your brother since after I saw him?" She suddenly demanded.
    "No, Ma, I already told the Police everything i know," Michael answered for the umpteenth time.
    "Ok. Just don't tell your dad about our little shopping spree."
                                            ....................................
    Molly was avoiding the Police.  She was absolutely tired of talking to them about Shawn. They looked at her like she was late for the Shrink. She was on her way to the Mental Institution to visit her husband.
    He was put there when he started having flashbacks about World War 2. He was a soldier who fought in that war, and he started chasing Shawn through the house with a broom saying he was a Nazi.
    "Hell, I'm here to visit Carl Rider," she said to the lady at the front desk. Molly hated this place because everything was so white.
    "Hello, honey. I just came to tell you that Shawn's missing," Molly spoke soothingly to her husband.
    "Shawn?" He asked.
    "Yes, your son."
    "I know who he is!"
    "Of course you do. I've been talking to the Police all day."
    "See Daniel," he mumbled, barely above a whisper.
    "Daniel? Who's Daniel?" Molly asked him desperately.
    "He knows," her husband spoke eerily.
    "Knows what?" Molly asked confused more than ever.
    "I need sleep," Carl declared.
    "Ok, I'll talk to you later dear. Bye."
    "Hmph," Carl said, falling to sleep.

                                                  Chapter 7

    The sun went down, but the night was not cool. It was very humid and sticky. David pushed them farther and farther. He was determined to find something to help out his friends. He felt responsible for anything that happened to them.
    They all fell heavily onto the sand because David had finally let them rest. They all felt like the sweat was caked onto them. The sweat now felt as thick as a blanket threatening to smother them.
    David stayed up late and could hear everyone's heavy breathing and Nick's pig-like snores. David never seemed to really be wanted at hom, school, or anywhere else for that matter.  Only his friends seemed to want him. His parents should have never had kids. Most mothers have what you call a maternal instinct, but his mother isn't like that at all. His mom practically looked for things to flip out on him for. That's why he was never ever home.
    His dad was worse. He was constantly drunk. When he got drunk, he beat anything out of anyone he could get his hand on except for his mother. Then there was his brother who was one of the people responsible for him being here in the first place. He helped Danny bring them to this Palace of Death. He never told anyone about his family, not even Alex his best friend.
    A lot of people had always told him that he should hook up with Jess because they'd make a great couple. David liked Jessica, but he thought that dating would completely ruin their friendship. Anyway, he could tell that Alex really really liked Jess and he wanted to see him happy. Oh well, right now he should just stick to trying to get them out of here.
                                                ......................................
    The sun came up to Shawn already up and taking a gulp of water and eating one of the snack cakes. He shook everyone awake, and they all looked grumpily at him.
    "Hey, don't get mad at me. David said that the first one up should wake up everyone else," Shawn said defensively.
    "So, you listened to him?" Jessica mumbled sleepily.
    "No, it's good. We gotta get going. This is our third day here. I don't know how long Danny's gonna leave us here, so we need to find more water," David said authoritatively.
    "David," Jessica complained, "can't we take a break? I'm sore all over."
    "No, Jess, we need water," David snapped back.
    "We're not gonna find it!" Nick shouted. "We're just wearing ourselves out by walking nonstop!"
    "Nick, we gotta try," David scolded.
    "Why?" Shawn asked angrily.
    "Cuz, Shawn, I'm not gonna let any of us waste away out here. Let's go!" David said it with such authority that no one argued.  They stood up, ready to walk another hundred miles to find water that doesn't even exist and to stay alive in a world where it seemed that everyone was out to get you.
    "We should do something to keep our minds off of our empty stomachs and burning throats," David said, breaking the silence.
    "Well, I memorized a few quizzes out of magazines," Jessica said thoughtfully.
    "What kind of quizzes?" Shawn asked skeptically.
    "All kinds. I can figure out your personalities," Jessica said brightly.
    "Isn't that a girl thing?" Nick said smirking.
    "Do you think only girls have personalities, Nick?" Jessica snapped back.
    "No, guys just don't care," Nick snapped back.
    "Go ahead Jessie," David said stopping them both from fighting. "We need something to do."
    Jessica asked a bunch of different questions until she finally figured out the results. She found out that David and Alex had a tough exterior but deep down were shy and sensitive, Shawn was outgoing and confident, and Nick gives up too easily on things.
    "Well, it definately got me and Nick right, but David being shy and sensitive? I cannot see that. I could see Alex being that but not David, Shawn scoffed.
    "It says tough exterior, so you wouldn't be able to see that," Jessica said.
    "So, David, the next time I see you crying I'll know exactly why," Shawn teased.
    "When have you ever seen me cry?" David asked, raising an eyebrow.
    "You got that whole tough exterior thing going on. I wouldn't have seen you," Shawn said so matter-of-factly.
    "I can't believe it!" Nick shouted suddenly?
    "What is it Nick?" David asked, spinning around in place.
    "Water! Tons of it!" Nick shouted.
    "What? Where?" David demanded from him.
    "Everywhere! Can't you see it?" Nick said laughing while he talked.
    "No, Nick what are you talking about?" Alex asked, looking concerned. But, Nick wasn't listening. He had run into the sand and dived headfirst. He took big handfulls of sand and poured it into his mouth.
    "Nick!" David screamed, running forward and pulling Nick back away from where he screamed, "Water! Water! David, it's what we've been looking for."
    David dumped water out of the bottle into Nick's mouth. Nick swallowed it in one big gulp and lay there gasping.
    "Ok, we'll take a break," David said, sitting down.
    "What was that about?" Shawn wondered out loud. "I didn't see any water."
    "I think Nick just saw a mirage," Alex said.
    "So, he's going crazy?" Shawn said smilng, "bound to happen sooner or later."
    "No, Shawn, he's not going crazy. He's just dehydrated," David said.
    Suddenly, Jessica burst out laughing. It wasn't a little giggle but a full-on heavy laugh.
    "What are you laughing at?" David asked surprised.
    "Do you-do you remember when w-we watched that circus show on that new tv channel?" she asked laughing hysterically.
    "The really stupid one? Yeah i remember," David said questioningly.
    "It wasn't funny," Alex said, moving closer.
    "I know," Jessica laughed with tears rolling down her face and dropping in her lap.
    "Then why are you laughing?" Shawn asked.
    "I-I dunno," Jessica said, looking puzzled and not laughing anymore. "I don't know what came over me."
    "Great," Shawn said in exasperation, "I can  understand Nick goin nuts, but Jess?"
    "Shawn, no one is going crazy. We are all hungry, thirsty, and worn out. That's all," David said in a mellowed-out voice.
    "Maybe we should just stay here for awhile. What do you say David?" Alex asked in a small voice.
    "Yeah, that sounds good. Nick? Are you feelin' ok?" David asked. Nick nodded and took another drink of water.
    "Jessie, what about you?" David asked.
    "I'm fine," she answered, also taking a drink of water.
    "Ok, we'll rest here for awhile," David said giving in.

                                        Chapter 8

    Alice was sitting at her kitchen table with her head in her hands. She had been like this for a few hours now. The phone rang and Alice picked it up and heard the voice of Jen on the other end.
    "Hi, Alice. How are you doing?" Jen asked in a high, happy voice.
    "Not so good, Jen. Not good at all. You?"
    "Probably better than you," Jen admitted.
    "I was talking to the Police, and we think it would be a great idea if all of us got together. I mean, all the parents whose kids are missing that hang out together. What do you say?" Alice said hopefully.
    "I'll be over," Jen said.
    "Ok, have you met the other parents?"
    "No, you?"
    "No, but I guess we will."
    Alice hung up the phone and went to talk to the couple of Cops who make themselves at home here.
    "Are the other parents coming?" Alice asked.
    "They'll be here. Now, remember to try and stay on track of talking about your  children. I know it may be a little painful, but just try."
    "I'll do anything to help get my daughter back," Alice agreed.
    "We know, and in cases like this, sometimes the parents tend to argue. So, I want you to keep that in mind," the Officer warned.
    A tall, stalky, dreamy-eyed woman walked into Alice's house avoiding the different stares she received from the Police. She had strands of beads hanging around her neck of various colors. Her eyes looked straight at Alice's and stuck there. Alice had the feeling that this woman was invading the only privacy she had, her thoughts. She had blonde, curly, frizzy hair on top of her that made her look as if electricity was running through her instead of blood.
    "Hello, you must be Mrs. Nickols," she said never removing her eyes from Alice's and shaking her hand very slowly for an unnecessary long time. Alice could do nothign but nod. She was still trying to let this lady's appearance sink in, but she didn't seem to notice because she went on "I'm Mrs. Rider. Shawn's mom, and you're Jessica's mom, correct?"
    "Yes, that would be correct," Alice said clearing her throat, "Shawn's a sweet kid."
    "Really? He must change a lot when he's at your house. At home, he's a loudmouth. It gets  him in trouble all the time," she had a sense of finality when she finished a sentence.
    "Ok, so he's not the sweetest boy, but he is a good friend."
    "We hope to get him back. We will. It is not his time to go. I'm sorry," her eyes were very wide now and almost immediately they filled with pity. "I cannot say the same thing for your daughter though."
    "What do you mean?" Alice asked, terrified now.
    "You can't change destiny," Molly said, nodding her head in pity.
    "Mrs. Rider-"
    "Please call me Molly," she interrupted.
    "Molly," but Alice never got to finish what she was going to say because at just that moment, Jen walked in. Jen always reminded Alice of an angel with a deep, dark secret that scarred her for life. Jen's a very beautiful woman. She had the same misty blue eyes that both of her sons had. Her hair reached down to the middle of her back. Jen always complained that her hair wouldn't do anything, but Alice thought that her straight, glossy, layered, strawberry blonde hair was something anyone would want. Jen always had bruises on her arms that worried Alice, but Jen wouldn't talk about it.
    "Hi, Alice, you look, um, oh, not too good," Jen commented honestly.
    It was true. Alice had not showered for a few days and her hair was greasy. There were bags under her eyes and her cheeks had black streaks on them where her mascara had run from all of the crying.
    "Jen, this is Molly, Shawn's mom. Molly? Jen," Alice said introducing them both.
    "You hide something from the world. Don't worry about your son, his day hasn't come yet," Molly said in greeting.
    "Ok, um, thanks I guess. I think I can remember which one is Shawn now," Jen said, nodding like she was scared.
    "Yes, oh, I brought some beads," Molly took two strands from around her neck and placed one around Jen's neck and the other around Alice's neck. "These can help to protect your children. Use them well."
    Jen's look of dismay at the emerald beads around her neck almost made Alice laugh. The thought of having no Jess to laugh with made her stop mid-breath. She and Jess always teased Jen about the way she acted about fashion. Everything had to be perfect in her eyes.
    Alice was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even realize another woman had shown up. The glint from the ruby beads Molly was putting around her neck brought her back to reality.
    "Oh, I'm sorry. Who did you say you are?" Alice asked, recovering.
    "Amy Thompson, Alex's mom," the woman answered.
    This woman had a look that she needed to blink more. Her eyes were red, blood-shot, swollen, and dried out. She had her stringy, dark hair pulled back into a loose, messy bun. Her clothes seemed to be draped over her body.
    Alice introduced herself and Amy cried out, "Oh, my baby! He has never done anything bad. He is such a good boy."
    "Your son is protected. The mother's eye is strong. You'll see him again. That I swear to you," Molly said, holding her hand over her heart.  Jen tried desperately, but failed to hold back the smile that overcame her.
    "Who else is coming?" Jen asked anxiously.
    "Only one more person," Alice said looking around.
    They didn't have to wait long before the fifth and final woman walked through the door. She was dressed in a long purple skirt with shiny decals spiraling around it and a black t-shirt with frilly sleeves. She had long, blonde, curly hair that reached her waist and looked as if she had recently had it done. She also had her purse on her shoulder, which she held securely at her side as if she was ready to run to the mall and shop until closing. There was a boy about Danny's age standing at her side with a greedy look in his eye.
    "Where's Danny?" he demanded from Alice.
    "He's up in his room. You know the way. Well, I guess we're all here," Alice said, looking at each of them.

                                            Chapter 10

    "So, are you saying that you believe my son is the reason they're all gone?"
    "Well-"
    "Don't ever say that! It was probably your son! My son is a straight A student, and he never does anything like this! Ever!," Amy's voice roared through the house.
    "Now, Mrs. Thompson, I'm sure it was not your son," the Office said.
    "Alex," she snapped.
    "Yes, Alex. I'm sure that it wasn't hsi or any one of your children's faults. They could've decided it as a group, or it could be a kidnapping," the Officer said, trying to reason with the women.
    "A kidnapping!" she squealed.
    "I can't believe what you're saying!"
    "My poor baby!"
    "What sicko would take five poor, helpless children?" All five women began to sob and shake.
    "We believe that one or two of the children were taken, and the rest went on some kind of rescue mission. You know, since they're so close and all. Or, we believe it could be a Crime of Passion," the Officer explained.
    "Poor, helpless child!" one of the women cried out.
    "Listen, you all have to listen to me. I need a list of people who you might've seen hanging around your children, or who might have a reason for taking them," the Officer said, trying to put their minds on somethign else.
    "Do you think it's someone we know?" Jen asked.
    "We want to check into every possibility," the Officer explained.
    "Well, I haven't seen anyone around Jessica," Alice said.
    "Are you sure Mrs. Nickols?' the Officer asked.
    "Yes, I would have noticed."
    "What about you Mrs Benson?"
    "I wouldn't be surprised if my son has them hiding out somewhere."
    "Does your son normally do stuff like this?" the Officer asked.
    "No, but he's not really someone you can trust."
    "Ok, have you seen anyone hanging around?"
    "No, not at all."
    "Have you Mrs. Thompson?"
    "No, I'm sorry, but no."
    "Mrs. Sanders?"
    "There are gangs around here, and you want me to try to think of someone who was hanging around?"
    "Mrs. Rider, what about you" the Officer asked, moving on.
    "No, but do you think that a gang took them?"
    "We'll look into that. Do you know of anyone who is in a gang?"
    "I don't"
    "No, sorry."
    "Nope."
    "They're really secretive."
    "Are you going to be able to find them?" Alice asked worried.
    "I will tell you the truth. I don't know," the Officer admitted. Alice and Amy began to sob. Jen looked at the wall. Molly glared at the cop. Rachel tried with all her might not to cry again.
    "I'm sorry, but I promise that I will try my whole-hearted best. I so promise ladies," the Officer said with a bow.
    "Thank you," Jen said.
    "Why aren't you doing your job?" Rachel demanded.
    "Find my baby!" Amy demanded.