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Previous chapters of the River Road story:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
How should the story continue? Voting is open on the current chapter!
Last time, at the museum with Mrs. Conn and the kids, where they had just seen another strange stunt by the Red Rose Rascal, Mia Duomo called Mrs. DeLorca. Mrs. DeLorca, Eben, Mr. DeLorca, Miss Trotter and Nancy had just had an awkward encounter at Trellis’ Flowers and Gifts and had also learned that the Red Rose Rascal had frightened the people at the Vista Falls Movie Theater. Mia and Mrs. DeLorca shared with each other—over the phone—what they each knew of the Red Rose Rascal. Mrs. DeLorca promised that she and her friends and family would meet Mia and the others at the museum. As they walked, Mr. DeLorca told everyone a story about something similar that had happened in Londonderry. The event—involving cabbages and some Londonderry Royalty—turned out to be a publicity stunt. Eben wondered if the Red Rose Rascal was also seeking publicity for something. When they reached the museum, the group was startled by a shadowy woman lurking in the bushes. What did they do? Here’s what you decided.
Chapter 12: Calling and Falling
by Joseph Crisalli
“So, do you think that this ‘Red Rose Rascal’ business is a publicity stunt?” Eben asked his father.
“I don’t know, Eben. But, it does make me wonder. Of course all of this wondering isn’t getting any pie, pancakes or sandwiches into my stomach.” Mr. DeLorca sighed. “But, still, we must make sacrifices for the good of our neighbors and so on.”
Finally, they reached the museum and went to the side door. As they approached the door, they noticed a shadowy figure lurking in the bushes. The person appeared to be a woman.
When the woman saw the DeLorca’s and their friends, she began to run away.
“I say,” Mr. DeLorca said. “Look at her go. She’s moving as fast as I did at the annual Londonderry pie chase. The challenge, of course, was that we had to carry pumpkins on our heads—lavishly decorated pumpkins, I might add. Jolly difficult and such.”
“Pumpkins, pancakes and pie!” Miss Trotter snapped. “We need to follow her.”
“What a delicious thought.” Mr. DeLorca grinned. “The first one more so than the second one.”
“Come on,” Eben shouted. “Let’s follow her.”
“I agree.” Mrs. DeLorca said quickly, hurrying down the path. “There’s no reason anyone should be lurking around the museum. Whoever she is, she must be up to something or she wouldn’t have run away.”
Meanwhile, inside the museum, Mrs. Conn and the others heard the commotion outside.
“Something’s going on out there,” Mrs. Conn said. She and the others hurried to the windows of the reception hall where they had decided to wait for the DeLorcas.
“Look!” Kathy said. “It’s Nancy, the DeLorcas and Miss Trotter.”
“They’re chasing someone.” Mia added. “Oh, but it’s too windy out there to run. They’ll mess up their hair. I don’t think I’d dare do that.”
“I wonder who they’re chasing.” Isaac sighed, taking a bite from a juicy red apple. “It makes me hungry just watching them.”
“Maybe we’d better go out there and help them.” Sarah suggested, always ready for an adventure. “Maybe they found this ‘Red Rose Rascal.’”
Suddenly, a mysterious man’s voice boomed throughout the reception hall. “They haven’t found me!”
“Who’s there?” Mia Duomo shouted.
The voice laughed. “I’ll give you one guess.”
“Who are you?” Mia demanded again. “Come out here and show yourself. Stop trying to scare us. You’re making me angry and that isn’t good for my complexion!”
“Ah, Mia Duomo, the beauty queen.” The voice laughed.
“Where’s the voice coming from?” Sarah whispered to Mrs. Conn.
“It sounds like it’s coming through a speaker.” Mrs. Conn answered. “But, the audio system isn’t on. At least I don’t think so.”
“What do you want from us?” Sarah shouted to the bodiless voice.
“That will become clear soon enough.” The voice laughed. “I’m more powerful than you can imagine.”
“You must be a coward.” Mia said clearly. “Hiding and pulling pranks. If you were as powerful as you’d like us to think, you wouldn’t be lurking in the shadows.”
“A coward!” The voice resounded through the museum’s halls. “The Red Rose Rascal is no coward.” The voice paused before laughing again. “I am what you might call a poet. Let me entertain you with a little poem. Roses are red, even when white. I want to say, you’ll have a fright. Just read the notes, it’s a puzzle. This Rose Rascal, won’t be muzzled.”
With that, the man began to laugh eerily. And, then, the lights in the hall suddenly went off! The room filled with the strong scent of roses.
“We have to get out of here.” Mrs. Conn said. “Now!”
At that very moment, behind the museum, Eben was running ahead of the others and was catching up to the woman that they were chasing.
“Careful, my boy!” Mr. DeLorca said.
“I’m fine, Father.” Eben looked over his shoulder and panted to Mr. DeLorca.
In that second, Eben didn’t notice a bit of uneven pavement and tripped, falling to the ground with a grunt. Sheridan stopped running and hurried over to his master’s side, wagging his tail and whimpering.
“Oh, he’s fallen again.” Mr. DeLorca sighed. “My poor occasionally-clumsy, son.”
“We have to help him up!” Nancy panted, struggling to keep up with the others.
“Locating lurkers is my prime priority.” Miss Trotter grunted, her cane tapping on the ground as she limped behind Nancy.
“Mrs. DeLorca,” Nancy shouted, “What should we do?”
What should they do?
Go to next chapter!
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