Kayla's POV
"I hope they never return and this house will be mine, all mine!" Fabian recited his line to boos from the crowd before exiting stage left.
"Any sign," he asked us.
"No not one sign of Nina, not a single one," Amber told him.
"You think she will make it back in time?" Asked Patricia as Amber stepped on stage in her cactus costume.
"Yes, yes, of course. Certainly," Fabian muttered distractedly.
"We found the treasure of Anubis, now we have to get out of here," Mick was saying on stage to Mara. I quickly reached over to the sound board and flipped the switch for the lightning effects as Patricia swooped down.
"Woah betide those who have disturbed me in death! Disbeliever, no death can kill me, because I am death!" Patricia shouted.
"My hand!" Mick exclaimed as he showed the audience the eye of Horus I had quickly drawn in red on both his and Mara's hands.
"My blood will wash over your head and those of your children," Patricia told the "Frobishers".
"We will do whatever you ask as long as you promise nothing happens to Sally and Callie!" Mara pleaded.
"One more word and you will never ever see Sally or Callie again!" Patricia boomed.
"Please, wait. Don't harm my daughters, I beg you!" Mara cried out as I toggled the lightning sound again and she showed the audience her hand.
"Run, save yourself," Mick shouted at the camel and I laughed along with the crowd as Alfie and Jerome squealed and fell on their back with their feet in the air as I cued the lightning again.
"Where is Nina?" Mr. Winkler asked us once more. "Fabian?"
"I don't know where she is," Fabian told him, fear all over his face. I was getting really worried myself. What if something had happened to her?!
"Okay. Well than can you go and find her, please," Mr. Winkler instructed as I glanced at Fabian before reaching over and leaning Fabian's guitar up against the prop table.
"Alfie, Jerome, get up and just carry on. Fill! You too Amber," Mr. Winkler whisper shouted as I couldn't help but laugh at the way they started dancing. It was definitely entertaining. After I had my fill, I slowly walked onto the stage and nudged Jerome to get off. I just hoped Fabian got back in time to stop me from making a total fool of myself. I sat cross-legged on stage and began to strum the guitar.
(Big White Room - Jessie J - just what I pictured Charlotte would be feeling at the time - also now that I think about it - totally could work as a face claim for her character though just with period-authentic clothing)
"Enough! Cut that racket out at once!" I finally heard Fabian shout as he and Nina hurried onto the stage and I rushed to stand up as Mick and Mara stumbled on stage and we could proceed with the script once more.
"Mother, Father, you're home!" We cried out.
"What has happened on your travels?" I asked as Mara and Mick collapsed onstage.
"We'll go fetch a doctor!" Nina shouted as we ran off stage and I set Fabian's guitar back down relieved that my sister was back.
"End it my servant. They deserve to die. You will be richly rewarded," Patricia said to Fabian.
"I can see the raven, my end is near. Let me hold you in my arms one last time and seal your lips, the gateway to your soul with a single kiss," Mara said before her and Mick kissed again and then pretended to die.
"The curse of Anubis has come true. This is your reward," Patricia told Fabian, handing him a scroll and a vial.
"What is this?" Fabian asked.
"Who ever follows the instructions precisely will receive the gift of eternal life," Patricia said and I peered out to see Mr. Sweet and Victor sharing a look.
"The the elixir of life is it really mine?" Fabian took a sip from the bottle and pretended to be choking. "I can't breath. What is this? What have you done?"
"Your soul belongs to me now!" Patricia exclaimed.
"Mother, Father? What have you done? I know you're behind this!" Nina said as she looked at Fabian while I bent down towards our "parents".
"My name is Sally," Nina repeated.
"And my name is Callie. We are 7 years old.
The truth has been heard, our story has been told," I recited.
"Our parents adventure brought us only strife.
The curse of Anubis has forever changed our lives," Nina finished as the curtains closed and I breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
"Joy, run, quick!" I heard Patricia suddenly shout after we had bowed and the audience was clapping. Joy jumped on stage and we moved aside to let her through. Then Victor was following after her.
"Thank you, thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. And another special thank you to our very own Mrs. Daphne," Mr. Sweet said as he tried to distract the crowd. "Sorry, I must insist," he started to say as Rufus shoved past me nearly knocking me over if it hadn't been for Jerome's arm around my waist.
"Who was that creep?" He asked me. I kept my mouth shut and shrugged at him.
"I'm sorry about that, ladies and gentlemen. Just an over enthusiastic member of the audience. And who can blame him. Thank you," Mr. Sweet said as the crowd applauded one more time.
*****
"Nina, Layla, Fabian!" Trudy called out as we walked into the after party. I waved at her as I looked over to see a girl rolling her eyes at Jerome before walking off.
"So Victor had another puzzle piece in the safe the whole time?" Fabian asked as we walked down the school hallways a little while later.
"Which he thought was the only one, maybe the puzzle pieces are more than just clues," Nina said.
"Well one thing is for certain, he's going to go ballistic when he realizes they're gone," Fabian said.
"I'm guessing because of the play he might be going in that direction," I chimed in.
"I've looked every for Joy. What if Victor caught her or murdered her," Patricia worried as she ran up to us.
"We don't know if Victor was talking about Joy. We can't just assume that," I pointed out.
"Yeah, maybe he meant Rufus he was in the audience too," Fabian agreed.
"Well that's just as bad, I'm going to start taking this personally," Patricia stated.
"It can't be Rufus, we saw him disappear out the back," Nina told as she gestured between her and Fabian.
"Oh, no! What's the time?" Patricia suddenly asked.
"Nearly 8:00 o'clock," my sister replied as she glanced at her watch.
"He'll be waiting for me, I have to go!" Patricia exclaimed.
"Are you sure you should go meet him?" Nina asked but she had already started down the hall.
"I'm going with her," I told my sister before dashing off to catch up with Patricia. I couldn't just let her go off alone into the woods at night!
"Rufus," Patricia called out as we finally met up with him.
"I thought I said half an hour," Rufus told her angrily as he glanced over at me, clearly surprised to see me there.
"We've been looking for Joy," Patricia told him.
"Did you find her?" He asked.
"No, I thought she might be with you. Did you know she was going to be at the play?" she asked.
"Yes, I arranged to meet her there and then Victor spotted her," Rufus said though something seemed false about that statement.
"I know, I saw him chasing her. Do you think he caught her?" Patricia said.
"Let's hope not. How did you spot her in the audience," Rufus asked.
"She wrote me a note," Patricia explained. Didn't she tell you?"
"Yes, very naughty of her, what if that got into the wrong hands," Rufus replied, though from his pause at first I was guessing he really hadn't known anything about it.
"It doesn't matter she wrote it in code. Look backwards writing. Nine - clearing in the woods, Joy," Patricia read out.
"Well that's clever," Rufus stated.
"I think she means the main clearing. Near Bluebell lane," said Patricia.
"We can't let them get their hands on Joy, Patricia," Rufus declared.
"I know, what if they already have," she said nervously.
"No, I am certain that Joy is okay. I think she will be there to meet you. Can you get there.
Yes. We will have to go back and sign out. Make sure nobody misses us," Patricia said.
"Right, meet me there in an hour at the clearing," Rufus instructed.
*****
"Hello, sweeties, why aren't you at the party with the others?" Trudy called out to us as Patricia and I walked down the stairs having changed our clothes.
"My aunt called me. They're taking Layla and I out for supper," Patricia quickly lied. Nina could learn a thing or two from her.
"Oh that's nice! Have you signed the out?" Trudy asked.
"Yes. The thing we might be staying at their house tonight. Is that okay?" Patricia asked.
"Well, as long as you're at school tomorrow morning," Trudy answered.
"Yeh, we will," Patricia told her.
"Oh, are they outside. Do they want to come in for a cup of tea?" Trudy asked.
"No, no no no, we need to get going. We just came back to get changed and sign out," Patricia hurried to say. "Okay, bye," she added as we left the house.
*****
"What time is it now," Rufus asked again as we sat in his red van.
"Same as it was 30 seconds ago," I rolled my eyes at him.
"20 past nine. I think it might be time to get a watch," Patricia commented.
"She's not coming, is she," he said frustrated.
"I don't know. Maybe she can't. Maybe they got to her," Patricia said.
"So near and yet so far. Meddling idiots!" Rufus exclaimed, hitting the dashboard as Patricia's phone rang.
"Hello?" She said. "Oh it's your sister," she told me. "Why wouldn't we be okay? We're with Rufus," she started to say before he suddenly grabbed the phone out of her hand. What the heck! "Hey!" Patricia shouted.
"Why are you mentioning my name? I have told you to everyone else I'm Rene!" Rufus exclaimed.
"It's okay it's Nina. She's not going to say anything, besides, she already knows your name is Rufus Zeno," I told him, crossing my arms as I glared at him.
"We can't call you Renee anyways. It's too absurd," Patricia added.
"Okay, joke over, give me the phone. Why are you locking the doors?" Patricia exclaimed.
"Let us out!" I demanded.
"Belt up, Patricia, Layla," Rufus said.
"Okay," said Patricia confused.
"Wanna tell us why?" I asked as I did so myself.
"This will be a bumpy ride," he stated.