"Patrick!" Spongebob called out. Where was he?! He couldn't have gotten too far away!
He darted out of the house and back into the darkness, looking around frantically. Something terrible could have happened to him. Spongebob didn't know what he would do with himself if something had happened and he wasn't there to stop it.
What would he tell Patrick's parents? He started panicking. He had to find him, and soon.
Spongebob didn't want to check alleyways, but he did. They were dark, and terrifying. But he had to find Patrick.
Suddenly, in the darkness, he heard someone shout "MY LEG!"
Spongebob jumped, then quickly hurried in that direction. Who could that have been?
"Fred?!" He exclaimed upon finding the well-known Krusty Krab customer in an alleyway. "What happened?"
"Spongebob -- I just got mugged!"
"Mugged!" Spongebob helped Fred up. "Get to the bus stop -- Patrick's parents are there. Have you seen Patrick?"
"Yeah.. just a while ago. Said he was looking for his pet rock."
"Where did he go?"
"That way." Fred pointed.
"Thanks, Fred.. get to the bus stop."
Spongebob hurried past the regular customer and down the way he had pointed. He had to find Patrick before it was too late.