Return To The Machine

Chapter 34

Audrey sat there worriedly. More concerned about Rosa and Parker's well-being than her own. "Okay... riddles... Shouldn't be that hard right?" Parker asked Rosa. "No... Not at all!" Rosa replied unsurely. They saw the Lost Ones being forced to sit there tied up to the chairs. Parker reached out and touched one of the shoulders. They slightly jolted before talking.

"The Fox thinks the Rabbit smells of Elderberry. I couldn't see them sitting together." he responded. Confused, Parker squinted his eyes at him. He poked him again. "The Fox thinks the Rabbit smells of Elderberry. I couldn't see them sitting together." Parker looked at Rosa wondering what to do. She poked the one sitting right next to the one they just talked to. "The Rabbit never plays with the Bird, but he loves the playful company of the Bear." Rosa cocked her head as they went on to the next Lost Ones who kept saying their own things.

"The Pompous Fox? He wouldn't be caught dead sitting on the left. Far too pedestrian."

"My friend, the Bear, always sits next to the Bird. After all, they went to school together."

"The Fox has always hated the Bear. They'd never sit next to each other."

"The Bird won't have anything to do with the Rabbit, but I hear that he likes to court danger by sitting next to the Fox."

After they had finished getting all the hints. They stared back at Susie who stared at them with a psychotic grin. "Tic toc tic toc children..." she taunted. They then glanced over at Audrey who still sat there giving them faces of encouragement. "You've got this..." she whispered. Parker and Rosa then noticed a ladder before deciding to climb up. That's when they noticed the panel. It had little animals on it. Rosa analyzed the situation and closed her eyes. "Okay... let's think. The Fox hates the Bear, The Bird hates the Rabbit, and The Bear and The Bird get along. Anything else? What should we do..." she asked him.

Parker looked at the panel himself wondering what to do. "Remember the Bird is near the Fox. He doesn't sit next to the left. And he hates the Bear. So that would leave him here..." Parker told her, pushing the panel's button until it showed the Fox picture. "But what about the other three?" Rosa thought about it for a moment before moving on. The Bear and the Bird go in the middle. I know that. Which way though? And how about the Rabbit?" they asked him. "The Bear always sits next to the Bird..." Parker began flipping it to the Bird icon. "And the Bird likes to court danger next to the Fox." With that, he changed it to where the Bird icon showed. It went in the order of Rabbit, the Bear, the Bird, and the Fox. They glanced at each other and then turned to Audrey who still sat there. She gave them a reassuring nod. Parker saw the switch they had to pull in order to confirm their answer.

He grabbed onto the switch and took a deep breath. Taking one more look at Rosa, he gripped the handle tightly. Then he slowly pulled it down. The room sparked for a spare moment signaling to Susie they had made their final choice. As soon as the two came down the ladder, she began laughing quietly watching as they stood on opposite sides of the table and stared down at Susie. Audrey held her breath wondering what was going to happen.

"Well, you've made your choice. Let's see if you're worth walking among the angels." she told them before turning to her own box that had a switch on it. She grabbed onto it and smiled wickedly at Audrey. "Hang on honey... I can tell this is going to be messy," she told them. Parker and Rosa watched helplessly as Susie held onto it. "Three... Two... One."

Susie pulled the switch making the room flash. To Audrey's relief, the chairs that held the Lost Ones began electrocuting them in their chairs while the lights flickered on and off. Somehow she managed to break free from the bonds and got up out of her chair.

"NO! NO NO NO NO!!!!" Susie kept screeching as Audrey took the chance to grab both teens and run.

There was no way they could get trapped with the psycho angel. Once out the door, they raced down the hallway, making a break for it. Knowing that her prey had escaped, Susie stomped over to a storage spot. Inside it was a glass case with a Tommy Gun inside of it. She took a Gent pipe and broke the glass to get the weapon inside.  "I've stood back and let the show go on for far too long! You three are not safe this time!" she yelled down the hall, racing after them. Meanwhile, the three escapees managed to find a new area with several blocks. "Grab on!" she told the two teens, giving them to the same arm to hang onto. "But, we're too-" Rosa began. "Just do it!" Audrey exclaimed.

Both of them held onto her left hand while Audrey reached out with her right. She focused on the balcony that had a broken rail giving them an open passage. Then within a split second, they teleported to the top of the edge of the balcony. Except for the weight of Rosa and Parker made it to where she barely managed to catch it and hang on for dear life. Rosa lost grip of the arm and began to fall down. Parker caught her in time before she could hit the high ground. "I got you!" Parker reassured, straining to keep holding on. Rosa caught her breath as she peered down. That's when she saw Susie holding the Tommy Gun walking slowly towards them.

"Did you honestly think you were going to get away that easily?! AFTER EVERYTHING?!"  she shouted. Audrey strained to pull herself up onto the balcony. They needed to get away now more than ever. Parker used all of his strength to bring Rosa back up to his level. "I've got this!" he promised. "Of course, all anyone ever wants to do is leave. Why? Why me..? " Susie then lowered the gun and used one free hand to hide her face to shield her tears. Yet you could hear her sobs. Audrey ignored this. She knew Susie was just trying to manipulate them. But Rosa and Parker's expressions softened.

Audrey using the last bit of strength threw them both onto the balcony. Audrey steadily climbed up to meet them on the ledge wondering what they could want. After they were up, Susie began shooting in every direction, screaming at the top of her lungs in anger. All of them stayed down wondering how they could get out of this situation. "I will take everything away from you! I might be an insane person but I'll never let you get out of here alive! AHAHAHA!" Susie shouted angrily before firing off the gun again while laughing like a maniac. "I won't stop until you're dead! YOU HEAR ME!? DIEEEEEE!"

Suddenly, the gunfire stopped and they heard a thunk followed by a groan. Startled by the hasty silence, Parker crawled to the ledge of the balcony to see what was happening on the other end. His eyes widened at seeing Susie on the ground knocked out after being hit. He slowly sat up to get a better look at the figures hiding in the shadows. "Hello!? Is anyone there?!" a voice shouted. Rosa recognized the voice right away. "Audrey! Get us down!" she cried. Audrey smiled and went along with her. 

Rosa moved the fastest towards them. Only then did Allison and Tom emerge from the darkness. "Rosa? Rosa!" Allison exclaimed happily as she had her arms outstretched. Even Tom held his arms open to catch the young girl. They held her close and embraced her in a hug like never before. "Oh, Rosa... where have you been?" Allison sighed happily. "Everywhere but where I needed to be. But... I'm finally home..."