"Guys, wake up!"

I drag myself awake to Lucinda's panicked voice and Garroth/Aaron's sleepy moans.

"Uhhggg....what is it?" Garroth's voice slurs sleepily.

"Uhh...wha...?" Aaron groans.

"Have you guys seen Kim?" Lucinda asks frantically.

I sit up quickly, clutching my spinning head. "What do you mean?"

"We just woke up." Aaron complains.

"Yeah... plus wasn't Kim with you guys?" Garroth asks.

"She was last night when we went to sleep." Lucinda says. "But when I woke up, she was gone!"

I look at Kim's sleeping bag. "You mean she just left?" I ask, getting up the rest of the way.

"Huh? That doesn't sound like Kim." Garroth says. He stands up, scared now. "That doesn't sound like Kim at all! We've got to find her!"

"Do you know if she like...sleepwalks or anything?" Aaron checks.

"No, she doesn't." I say.

"Maybe she just had to go to the bathroom?" Lucinda tries.

"Maybe that's it." Garroth agrees. He starts running around. "Kim! Oh, Kimmie-Kim!"

"Kim!" I yell, chasing after him. "Kim, where are you?" I run after Garroth to the bathroom, and we both barge in at the same time. The lights are off. Kim hates the dark.

"Kim!" I call, just in case. Garroth makes a sad whimper-like sound and runs back downstairs.

"Guys! She's not in the bathroom!" Garroth bursts, back in front of Lucinda and Aaron. I join him, wringing my hands.

"Where could she be?" I ask.

"Hmmm..." Lucinda doesn't seem freaked out as much anymore. "Maybe she got lost coming back. This place is huge. There's plenty of halls to get lost down." She brushes her long orange hair behind her ears, trying to get her bedhead to go away. Feeling my cheeks redden, I try to do the same. Garroth giggles.

"All right, all right." Aaron breaks in. "Here's what we're gonna do. We'll just split up and check the garage, outside, and the rest of the main hall. Once we've cleared those areas we can regroup."

"Sounds like a plan." Lucinda agrees.

"Let's go!" Garroth says.

I grab his hand and follow him outside, soaking our flannel pajama bottoms through as wade around the thick slush. "KIM! KIM-KIM-KIM-KIM!!" Garroth yells.

I start to shiver and drop his hand to rub my arms. "M-m-maybe we should g-g-go inside n-now. And get changed int-t-o warmer c-c-clothes. B-b-but if Kim's still out h-here..."

He gives me a giant bear hug. "Aww, don't worry, baby sister. We'll come back out once we're dry again." He leads us inside and grabs his outfit, making a dash for the bathroom. I snatch my clothes up and beat him there.

"Nya, nya!" I call, locking it behind me and slipping out of the wet cloth clinging to my skin.

"Aww, come on, Violet, I need to change too!" Garroth says.

"Wait your turn!" I snuggle against the soft yellow yarn of my sweater, and then take an extra few minutes to brush my hair and pull it part way back. Mummy always said it made my violet eyes pop.

After Garroth changes, we go back downstairs to find Aaron and Lucinda already back in their regular clothes. "Anything?" Garroth asks hopefully.

"No." Aaron admits. "I-I didn't see her anywhere."

"I came up with nothing as well." Lucinda sighs. "Not even a trace of anything removed or misplaced."

"I didn't have anything either." I say. "She's got to be here!"
"Where could she have gone?" Garroth asks. He starts wildly looking around the lodge.

"Well, we've searched everywhere we've been, so that means we have to go deeper into the lodge." Aaron says.

"Deeper?" My voice cracks. "Um, maybe someone should stay here! In case she comes back! Yeah!"

"Aw, baby sister, don't worry! Your big brother Garroth will take care of you!" He reaches his arms out and inches towards me.

"You have to search too, Garroth." Lucinda points out. "And maybe she should stay here. Just in case Kim returns."

"Aww...Okay..." Garroth sighs. He, Aaron, and Lucinda all run upstairs and split up once they reach the landing. "I'M COMING KIM!" I hear. "YAAAAAAAR!"

I have to giggle at my brother's enthusiasm. I sit down on the couch and wait for a while, listening to clumps here and there, and at once point, a loud crash and Garroth's exasperated yelp. I roll my eyes. My boob-head brother.

And then, out of nowhere, a loud screeching of tires comes outside the lodge. I just about jump out of my skin and actually do fall of the couch.

"Ow!" I complain, rubbing my back as I sit up and run over to peek out the window. To my surprise, I see Zane and a... mini-Zane(?) getting out of Mummy and dad's car. I blink in confusion, and see Aph's familiar joyful brown eyes through Zane's coat. Zane rushes towards the door as Lucinda and Aaron join me downstairs. As I run for the door, it bursts open and Zane rushes in.

"OUT OF MY WAY! I NEED THE RESTROOM!" He barrels past me. "OUT OF MY WAY!! GAAAAH!"

I laugh and follow Aaron and Lucinda outside. Aphmau grins at us.

"Aph!" Aaron exclaims.

"Aaron!" she says happily. She runs to him and jumps into his hug.

"I missed you." Aaron tells her as he backs away.

"I missed you, too!" Aph says.

Lucinda crosses between them. "Awww!" she coos.

"Um, Aph, is Zane okay?" I ask, glancing at the lodge and rubbing my arms against the cold.

"Lucinda! Violet! I'm so glad to see you're safe as well! And, about Zane..." Aphmau hesitates. "He just had to go to the bathroom."

"Does he even know where it is?" Aaron asks.

"Probably not." Aphmau admits.

"AAH!" Kim's voice squeals from upstairs.

"Kim?" I ask, running inside. Lucinda, Aaron and Aph follow me inside and upstairs to one of the old bedrooms.

"What's going on?" Lucinda demands, going in. "There was screaming, and---" She gasps, taking in the scene of Kim knocked out on the floor and my brother Zane standing over her, poking her repeatedly. "Kim!" Lucinda screams.

"Kim!" Aphmau yells. "Is she all right?"

"Zane, what did you do?" I demand.

"She's crazy!" Zane yells. "She tried to kiss me!"

"What?" Aaron asks.

"She was acting like a zombie, and came at me! What the heck happened??!"

"I'm...not sure." Lucinda says slowly.

I look around the room. The bed is made, and there's no dust in sight. "This room looks like it's been lived in." I note.

"Haven't you guys been here?" Aphmau demands.

"No, we haven't explored the house that much." Aaron says. "But you're right, Violet... this place...someone's been here."

"Let's get Kim down to rest." Lucinda says.

"Yeah, she looks pale." Aph says.

"WAIT! I STILL GOTTA USE THE BATHROOM!" Zane screams, running from the

room. "AH!!!"

"We better get Kim up." I say. "And bring her downstairs again. I don't like the idea of someone being in this room."

"Neither do I." Aaron says, propping Kim up. "Someone grab her legs?"

"Oh, please." I grab her easily from Aaron. "I'll carry her."

He follows me downstairs with Aph and Lucinda. "I don't understand how someone so tiny like you can carry people twice your weight."

"Hey!" I protest.

"Then again, just about anyone can carry Aph, the stupid little potato..."

"AARON!" Aphmau and I yell. He cracks up.

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Yeah... I got pretty bored over break. I've written quite a bit.