A group of four was summoned to an expansive manor to look into a kidnapping attempt on a young girl. No one was sure why they had been chosen and it seemed as if they were the strangest bunch of people to team up together. Mike Jones was the first to enter with his blond hair slicked back dressed in a nice button up shirt and slacks.  He was recently divorced and was for sure no one would notice him so was surprised when he was picked for this. Then again he did work at the local police department so it shouldn’t have been such a surprise for him. The next to enter would surprise everyone the most  a young 14 year old girl why anyone thought a fourteen year old girl was a good choice no one would know but there she was. The musically gifted Isabella Acelis walked into the room looking around a bit confused as to where she was. This was her best friends new best friend’s house so why was she here. They couldn’t have figured out her secret could they have. No there was no way they could have.  Next was Dina Harrison and Janette Hopkins one an aspiring actress the other a submarine operator.
 
 

---

Mike walks along the shore of the beach, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against rocks sitting on the sand. The sound of water moving back and forth against the boulders seemed almost peaceful. With so much having happened in his life he couldn’t help but feel as though it was the perfect metaphor for his recent divorce. Mike had gone on vacation to simply…forget. To wash all his problems away much like the waters would leave shells behind on the shore. He too would leave the things he didn’t need behind, maybe someone else would find his ex-wife a beautiful and divine creature, however, he wasn’t going to wait around and find out. 


Mike stopped when he nearly tripped over a large bag which had clearly been abandoned; as it was soaked and sand had covered every inch of it’s flower patterned fabric. Lifting the soaked container by it’s rope like handle, Mike searched the beach with his eyes for the owner of the now very soaked towels, and…book. 


“Hey!” A young woman with drenched blonde hair yelled, running up to him and stretching out her hands. “That’s my bag! Give it to me!”


Mike looked up at the newcomer who was claiming the bag in his hand as her own. He gave her a good glance over, observing the water droplets dripping from her waxed arms and legs. He admired the silver bikini she was wearing which didn’t look at all durable for swimming in the ocean seeing at it didn’t hide very much cleavage at all. 


“My eyes are up here, dude!” The woman snaps, ripping the bag from Mike’s hands. Before she turned to leave, Mike caught a glimpse of her pink lips, and her eyes which gleamed a light gray with little specs of blue. Thank goodness for his recent divorce! 


“Hey, wait!” 


Mike followed behind the infuriated girl, wanting nothing more than to get to know her better. She was beautiful, and if that wasn’t enough, she was feisty, and didn’t remind him of his ex at all. He reaches his hand out to touch her shoulder, causing the woman to turn around and say, “What?”


“What’s your name?” Mike asks, ruffling his dirty blonde hair with his other hand. “I want to make up what happened to your bag to you.”

The gray eyed beauty looked taken aback, and with a more gentle voice answered, “I’m Dina.”


“What a pretty name.” Mike said, letting go of her shoulder, and pointing towards town. “Are you hungry? We can get something to eat if you want.”


Dina nodded. “Sure, but first I’ve got to think of some kind of replacement for my wet clothes.”


“I personally think you look great!” Mike responds before giving Dina a wink. 


Dina rolls her eyes and laughs. “Sure, why wouldn’t you? A pretty girl wearing nothing but a dripping wet bikini, if you didn’t think so I would think you drive on the other side of the road.”


“Hah!” Mike smiled at Dina’s little joke. He could tell he liked this woman already. “Let’s go find you some clothes.”


The young man pulled Dina’s hand into hers and began leading her away from the beach. Perhaps he had found himself a new girlfriend. Only time would tell.
 
 

---

 
 
SLAP!

“You swore to me, you promised that I was the only one for you!” Janette’s eyes flared as the palm of her hand connected with Mike’s jaw. He visibly recoiled, stumbling two steps backward – not through pain, but through surprise and confusion. 

“Janette…. this is our first date. I thought we were just having fun? I’m pretty sure that I didn't actually promise that to you at all. I’m.. I’m a little confused.” He rubbed his jaw, feeling the three day old stubble there. He really needed to get himself together, he was still a young guy, he was attractive and charismatic; he needed to stop dating these strange woman! His mind flashed to the woman who was always in his mind, but he mentally shook those thoughts away.

“In Jennifer Aniston’s name, you did! You did..!!” She cried to the heavens dramatically. By now, everyone in the movie theatre lobby was staring at them. Isabella giggled within the crowd – this was way better than a movie! Janette glanced quickly around to make sure all eyes were on her, before she raised her hand to her forehead, palm out, and sank to the floor in a dramatic ‘faint’. Mike saw it coming. He briefly closed his eyes, ground his teeth, and then reached forward to catch her, sinking to his knees with her in his arms, her hand still posing on her forehead.

“Mike? Mike Jones, is that you?!” an urgent voice called from the crowd that had now gathered shamelessly. It was testament to Janette’s rather lacking theatrical skills that no one had rushed to her aid. 

Mike swore under his breath and tried to conjure up a smile. Looking up, he saw the pretty face of Dina Harrison pushing through the crowd, trying to reach him and the smile froze in place Janette’s eyeslids flew open as she glared at the newcomer. She was suddenly well enough to sit back up by herself. Mike mentally gathered himself together, and got to his feet, brushing off the knees of his trousers. She couldn’t be here right now; not seeing him like this. 

Dina was suddenly there, right in front of him. Her hands were on his shoulders, her grey eyes were frantically searching his face. “What’s going on? I thought… I thought you loved me? You left your wife for me! Don’t pretend you’re single – I know that’s what you’re telling yourself but it’s just not true!” She could feel the all-too-familiar lump forming in her throat and began blinking rapidly. “I love you, Mike, why are you hurting me like this?”

At those words, Janette leaped up off the ground and straight into what she appeared to assume was a fighting stance; she vaguely resembled a karate champion. “What… did… you… say?!” she growled at Dina. Mike shrugged off Dina’s hands from his shoulders and stood between the two woman, hands outstretched toward each of them. Dina looked between Mike and Janette wordlessly, tears now beginning to stream down her face.
Janette shook her head passionately. No way was this woman getting in the way of the true love between her and Mike! She launched herself past Mike and at Dina, scrabbling at her face and hair and almost pushing her to the ground. Mike jumped back in shock, this woman was crazy..!

“No, stop! STOP!” Dina shouted, using all her strength to push Janette off of her. “Don’t push me. I’m… I’m…” She turned to face Mike, the tears flowing freely. “I’m pregnant, Mike. I’m having your baby.”
 
[

---

 
Mike Jones, starred at the woman in front of him. His friend Dina Harrison had set him up on a blind date since he was recently divorced and was already looking to mingle again. He was in his early twenties and didn’t want to be alone. Mike’s biggest regret so far has been getting married right out of high school. His ex-wife didn’t understand that he did have talent of later becoming a magician, but after almost accidentally stabbing her with swords or all the rabbits turning up in random places she had enough. Here he thought he had found his beautiful assistant.

His date thought was stunning, even with her odd colored orange hair. “So... Janette was it? What do you do for a living?”

Janette gave him her hopefully soon-to-be famous smile. “I’m currently auditioning for roles in movies and TV series. I’m an actress. I hope to someday meet Jennifer Aniston and learn from her to become a better actress.”

“Oh please, she’s a terrible actress!”

Both Mike and Janette looked at each other oddly when they realized their table was speaking. Mike lifted the table cloth and saw his cousin, Isabella under it. “Izzy! What are you doing here?”

“Trying to stalk my best friend and her new best friend. They were supposed to be eating at this table and then you took it instead. Last I checked your name wasn’t Janette.” Isabella crawled out from under the table.

“No, but my name is Janette. Why are you stalking your best friend and her... new best friend?” Janette asked despite Mike motioning her not to ask. 

He’s already heard this story several times from the number of times Izzy and barged in his apartment with some of her wild ideas. Sometimes is younger cousin frightened him.

“Because she’s my best friend.”

“You can always have more than one best friend, Izzy.” Mike suggested.

Isabella glared at Mike. “There’s a reason you got divorced as quickly as you did, Mike. Vows are sacred remember, and we vowed to only the best of friends.”

“Hey! I kept my vows, she wanted the divorce.”

“After you tried killing her numerous times!” Isabella leaned into Janette. “He tried stabbing her and cutting her in half several times.”

Janette’s eyes grew wide at this information. What did she do to Dina to be set up with a man who wanted to kill his ex-wife? This wasn’t a good matchup. And maybe she shouldn’t have pretended to be that other Janette for seats in this restaurant.

“IZZY!” Mike looked at Janette trying to reassure her. “I’m a magician, not an attempted murder like my cousin here is trying to make me out to be.”

“So he says.” Isabella muttered.

“How about I turn you, your best friend, and your best friend’s new best friend into rabbits and ship all three of you to Belgium?”

“BELGIUM! What a great idea! I’ll ship that best friend stealing bi-”

“Isabella Acelis, do not finish that sentence.” Mike stopped her from making a bigger scene.

Janette, grabbed her stuff and left unnoticed while the two cousins bickered. Never again will she trust Dina to set her up on a blind date.

“Whatever, you’re not my father. And I got to find out how much it costs to ship someone in a doggie carrier to Belgium.” Isabella countered and started walking out of the restaurant.

Mike let out a deep breath before turning back to Janette. When he finally did turn his attention to the other seat, she was gone. “Is she a magician too?! How could I let another fellow magician slip through my fingers?!”

Isabella rolled her eyes and shouted. “IDIOT!”
 

---

 




"I will see Jennifer Aniston at all cost!" she screamed, driving the blade of the sword into Isabella's face.

 

"5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." Isabella said calmly.

 

The bomb in Janette's dress went off.

 

" A TERRORIST HIJACKED THIS PLANE!" she screamed, hoping that no one would notice the body.

 

The force from the explosion had caused her to fall on top of the man sitting across the aisle.

 

"A terrori-we need to evacuate the plane!" Mike yelled and then muttered under his breath "Why must everything bad happen to me. My wife divorces me, my father dies, and the plane I'm taking to the funeral gets hijacked. Why god, why?"

 

The flight attendant was announcing the proper safety procedures, but no one on the plane paid any attention to her.

 

As Isabella raced towards the evacuation slide, Mike noticed that she had dropped a sheet of paper. 

 

The idiot's guide to bomb-making?

 

 

"I FOUND THE TERRORIST!" he yelled "SHE'S THE BLONDE GIRL WITH GREEN EYES THAT'S HOLDING A VIOLIN!"

 

As Isabella jumped onto the slide, the flight attendant grabbed her.

 

"Well, well, well, we meet again, Dina."

 

"Who are you?"

 

"You don't remember?" she said as she pushed the gun into Dina's forehead.

 

"No.. you can't be... are you the person who kidnapped my daughter?"

 

Her smile was the proof. 

 

"3... 2... 1..."

 

"SECURITY! SHE'S RIGHT THERE!"

 

 
 

---

 
and together, they stepped forward. “This is it, Isabella,” Mike warned, holding the staff determinedly before him, careful to keep in time with Janette. They needed to act as one to make the gem work, and they needed the gem to work to banish the swamp witch back to where she came from, safely locked away where she could cause no further harm. Anger and sadness flared through him at the thought of poor Dina, whose own worst fear was her end. Their minds linked, he felt Janette waiver in her step – she had really liked the little kender, and that they had reached her too late… Isabella would pay. A deep green light seeped out of his arm and up through the staff, his Elven heritage lending him strength.
 
“Ha! You believe you could defeat me?” the sinister crone laughed, but he could see the terror in her sickly, green eyes. She held her crystal ball with her bony hands, summoning light and energy – they had to destroy her before she had gathered enough to attack with.
 
“We will defeat you,” Janette supplied, her tone shaking in anger, dark pink light emitting from her to join the green of the staff; the Arc Gem flared to life, and Isabella faltered. Janette continued, “You and whatever other evil attempts to attack this place!” They took a step forward. “This may not be my first home,” she admitted, and already he smiled for sensing what was to come next, “but it is my final home! I’ve lost my dream of meeting my hero, but I’ve gained something better – something even more precious! Drive! Purpose! Family!” she looked over at him, and he felt a gradual warmth blossom in his chest. “And I will not let you threaten that!”
 
“Drop your crystal, Isabella,” he directed, “And we will make the transport nearly painless.”
Instead she threw down her hand and disappeared in an explosion of smoke and sound; they faltered – flinching at the proximity, coughing as their eyes watered. The staff started to fall. “And now I have you!” her shaky old voice seemed to come from all around them, echoing throughout the chambers of the castle she had stolen, “With the Arc Gem as part of my collection, I will never be undone. Your peoples will pay for this attempt on me; they will rue the two of you, wish you had never been born for the hurt I shall inflict upon them! Slaves, starving as they are worked to the bone constructing their own prison!” she laughed; Janette looked to him – no doubt thinking of their friends, his family… but that he could not read those thoughts instantly meant that the damage had been done. They weren’t in sync. They couldn’t reactivate the Arc Gem like this, even if they could find Isabella. They would lose.
 
Janette’s left hand held his right, her warmth on the hand that held the staff startling him. He looked to her to find her staring right back at him, determination in her eyes. The pink glow was still there – it was his green that had faded. He had doubted them and broken their link, not the explosion. He was a fool, as always, and, as always, she was calling him out on it. He smirked and looked forward, bringing his power to bear, the green light flashing up the staff impressively fast. The Arc Gem glowed brightly, expelling the smoke and revealing the crone. As the look of shock twisted her wizened features, she was pulled forward, her body pulled into a swirling vortex. She was unable to even scream as she was pulled to her prison.
 
The room finally cleared, Janette released his hand and started to laugh. This was it – the ordeal was over.
 

The end.

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Tada! Popcorn Round two! For now we'll keep the authors of each section anonymous. Since this is the Writing and Roleplaying's Guild, now would be the time to offer constructive criticism about pieces - making helpful suggestions to make the writing more vivid, discuss the pros and cons of writing with different perspectives, compare and contrast different formats, praise unique or imaginative ideas, etc.; Remember! These critiques are meant to help! If you would like to take ownership of a specific section (aka claim your section) to talk about in greater detail, that's up to you! =D

I was thoroughly confused about section 5. Especially in the first sentence. Janette had driven a blade into Isabella's face, yet Isabella act like that didn't happen at all. Also was the plane on the ground the whole time when the bomb went off? Wouldn't have Isabella been caught in the explosion if she was close to Janette when the bomb in Janette's dress went off?

Then the 'bonus chapter'. That caused more confusion for me... I understood that part wanted a fast moving action, I did feel the rush of the scene because of the chaos and needing to get out of the plane that was well done.

The 'bonus chapter' was my mistake - I copied too far. It's been edited out.

I'll have to come back later. My eyes are still sore from crying. I was laughing so ahrd because this story makes absolutely no sense. xD

Hahah it's so funny how everyone took it a complete different direction! Agree with Akiko tho - I was unsure about the start of the airplane one. Couldn't work out what was actually happening, if it was real or fake to cause a distraction?