The Tree on the Dike - chapter 12

"The Tree on the Dike"  [13+]

Chapter 12

         Susan was frozen in place for several seconds, wondering what to do. In her astral form, she would be unable to open the cage. She wondered if there was some way to contact her father. Some way to let him know that she had found him and was going to everything in her power to free him.

         Suddenly, a loud hiss could be heard on the other side of the cage, and a large black cat pounced into Susan's view. It was the same cat she had seen that day in school before all the weirdness started. It seemed so long ago now. Susan took a couple of steps backward. Was the hairy giant here too?

         The cat slowly moved toward Susan. As it got closer, a low growl could be heard. It definitely knew she was there.

         "What is it, Mandrake?" asked Dr. Kimball. He looked up from the clipboard he was writing on and tried to see what the cat was looking at. As he searched, his eyes began to glow a bright green color. "Ah, I see we have an unexpected guest. I'm sorry, my dear, but this area is restricted. You will have to leave."

         The doctor raised his hands in the air and began chanting in an unknown language. Susan felt the air tighten around her body as she rose off the ground and through the ceiling. Before she knew what was happening, she was back outside the power plant and speeding toward downtown Wolfville.

         She awoke a few seconds later, lying on a full garbage bag.

         Was it all a dream? Somehow, she didn't think so. Now was not the time for questions. Now was the time for action. Some mad scientist had kidnaped her parents, and nothing was going to stop her from rescuing them. With a renewed sense of purpose, Susan headed back home.

* * * * * * * *

         "Brad, I'm serious." Susan walked over to the movie poster that her brother had placed on the wall. She pointed to the long ears of the blonde man pictured. "He had ears just like this, only a little longer, and his hair was black."

         "You're telling me you met an elf." Brad looked at the picture and then stared at his sister. "You can't be serious."

         Susan stared back at her brother. "I know it sounds strange, but you have to believe me. He showed me where our parents are. We have to rescue them tonight or it might be too late."

         Brad sat in a solid wood chair and examined the ceiling for a minute. "You sound like you really believe this happened, but you have been acting a little strange lately. I think the stress has been getting to you and it was all a hallucination or something."

         "How can I convince you that it really happened?" Susan sat on the bed and was distracted for a second by the floral print bedspread. Brad couldn't be too happy sleeping in Aunt Emma's old bed.

         "I don't know," Brad said in answer to her question. "Maybe if we went inside the plant and you showed me my parents sitting in a cage."

         "Then you'll come with me?" Susan sat on the edge of the bed, not sure if she should rejoice or not.

         "I never said that." Brad watched as his sister's hopeful expression disappeared. "But now that I think about it, the place is well guarded, so there's no way you could know what is inside the building. As soon as you see that the inside is nothing like you imagined, we can come home and you can forget this nonsense."

         "Oh, thank you! Thank you!" Susan jumped off the bed and wrapped her arms around her brother. "You'll see. There really is a secret lab under the power plant."

         "Okay, we'll see." Brad carried his sister back to the bed and forced her to let go. "But the second you realize nothing looks familiar, we call the whole thing off. Agreed?"

         "Yes. Agreed!" Susan's excitement caused the bed to bounce up and down. "Now, all I need to do is convince Jill to come along."

         "Good luck. That mousy friend of yours is afraid of her own shadow."

         "Hey! Jill's my best friend. She'd never forgive me if I didn't ask her to come along." Susan got to her feet and headed for the door. "We'll meet you near the old tree on the dike in an hour."

* * * * * * * *

         Susan knocked on the door of Jill's one story house. The white siding was in need of repair and the window trim need to be repainted, but the warm light coming from inside was inviting and friendly.

         A woman with short black hair and in her mid-thirties answered the door. Her slanted eyelids spoke of her Asian heritage. "Hello, Sue. May I help you?"

         "I was wondering if Jill was in, Mrs. Langley." Susan looked through the doorway, but didn't see her friend.

         "I think she's upstairs, studying." Mrs. Langley turned and called up the stairs, "Jill, Susan's here."

         "I'll be down in a minute," Jill's voice echoed down the worn wooden staircase.

         "Would you like a glass of juice while you wait?" Mrs. Langley headed down the bare wood hallway to the kitchen beyond.

         "No thank you. I can't stay long." Susan entered the house and sat on a bench near the stairs.

         Mrs. Langley paused. "I heard what happened to your mother. I hope they find her soon."

         Susan tried not to look too anxious. "Yes. Soon."

         "Hi, Susan. What's up?" Jill came down the stairs and stood in the hallway.

         "Hi, Jill. Can we go to your room for a minute?" Susan turned to Jill's mother. "I just want to talk to Jill privately, if that's okay."

         "Go ahead. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." Mrs. Langley continued down the hall.

         "So, what's going on?" Jill asked, as the two girls headed to her room.

         "I want you to sneak out and meet me by the tree on the dike. You remember, the one I showed you the other day." Susan walked into Jill's room and sat on the bed.

         "What? Why?" Jill turned the steel-framed chair away from her desk and sat facing Susan.

         "I think I know where my parents are." Susan leaned toward Jill and whispered, "I met someone who showed me where they were taken."

         "Who? Is it someone you can trust?" Jill leaned forward so that her forehead was almost touching Susan's.

         "I think so. Will you come with me to investigate?" Susan gave a little smile and waited.

         "Where are we going?" Jill leaned back in her chair. "There's nothing out on the dike . . . except the power plant. Surely your parents aren't in there."

         "There's a hidden lab under the power plant where my parents are being held." Susan took a deep breath and continued. "I asked Brad to help me get into the plant. I just need you to be the look out and to call the Mounties if we don't make it out. Can you do that?"

         "I guess." Jill adjusted her glasses. "My mother won't be too pleased if she finds out."

         "Meet me outside in ten minutes. Bring your walkie-talkies so we can speak from inside the plant." Susan stood and headed for the door.

         About ten minutes later, the two girls were headed for the dikes.

* * * * * * * *

         When they were almost to the old tree, Susan stopped. From the glow of Brad's flashlight, she could tell he was not alone. It was a cloudy night, and it was hard to make out any details, but Susan knew who it was without even looking. Brad had brought Fiona with him.

Continued in "The Tree on the Dike - chapter 13"