Collision Course [+ Additional Levels]

Level Two - Two Words

Mira opened the bathroom door, and closed it behind her. Before she left the gas store, she thanked the clerk for letting her use the restroom. The clerk shrugged and nodded, saying it was nothing. She ruffled through her quilt purse as she stepped out onto the pavement, hoping she didn't lose anything this time. For some reason, she was always missing something from her bag. She didn't know how. Either it was that something fell out, or someone took something—she really didn't know. It was always one of those strange mysteries to her. And she was always forgetting to buy a new purse. Nope. Nothing missing. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"She has come back! Alive and well! She has gone where no man can follow, and has survived the treacherous journey!" Andrew called, as she walked up to the white Tahoe.

She gave him a flat look, looping her arm through the purse straps. "Andrew, you goof."

Andrew laughed.

Karan was always lecturing the boys for making jokes about his younger sister being the only female in their little group, but even he had to smile a little to that one. He unhooked the nozzle when it clicked, signaling that it was done feeding gas to the Tahoe's tank, and set it back in it's place. He paid the money into the machine, and stuffed the change in his pocket.

Mira frowned. "Where's Moe? Because, knowing him, there is no way that he's in the car." Also, knowing him, he might be hiding, waiting to scare the crap out of her, she thought. Mira glanced around nervously, as if at any moment, Moe might jump out.

"He's running around the trees," Karan said.

Mira stopped looking for Moe, and blinked. "Run that by me again?"

Andrew couldn't help but snort in the midst of his laughter. Mira gave him a look. "No pun intended, of course," she said dryly.

"He's running out over there, around the trees by the store," Karan repeated, pointing.

She quickly snapped her head from Andrew to Karan, surprised. Then Mira proceeded to react exactly how Karan imagined she would.

"In the dark? How could you let him do that?" Mira exclaimed, walking forward and squinting into the woods, trying to see through the dark. She was bewildered that Karan would let Moe do such a thing.

"I didn't. Andrew did," Karan assured her, shooting a glance at Andrew, who had finally calmed down.

Catching the look, his friend arched an eyebrow at him questioningly. "What? It's not like I forced him to do it. He's his own man!"

"Ah," she said, understanding now. She rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Of course."

Andrew suddenly had a thought, and pulled up the sleeve that covered the watch on his wrist; it looked very much like Moe's watch. After he read it, his eyebrows furrowed at it.

"What?" Mira asked him.

"It was eight forty three when he said he'd be back in five minutes," he said, putting his arm down and looking up at the woods beside the store.

"And?" Mira asked.

Karan walked around the car. "And it's passed time?" he asked him, remembering what Moe had said. "If I'm not back in five minutes, somethin's happened. Kay?"

Andrew looked at them. "It's two minutes to nine."

So, something had happened. But whether or not something actually happened to him, or if he was pulling a prank, Karan wasn't sure. Or, maybe Moe just hadn't checked his watch. Karan and Andrew looked at each other, sharing the same thoughts.