House of Anubis: Triad of Memphis

House of Homes/House of Phones

The weekend came, and Lucille assisted Sarah in setting up the attic before Jonah would arrive for the date. Jared was headed to check on them on behalf of Jonah who was in the process of getting ready. On his way, he was stopped by Niamh.

"When should we head out?" she asked.

"Um, uh soon," he flashed a smile. "Soon."

Eventually Sarah, Jonah, Lucille, and Jared were all gathered just outside the attic, Sarah and Jonah preparing themselves to head in and commence their official date. Lucille and Jared both figured it was about time that engage in this, and so they practically pushed them inside. Jared acted quickly and pulled a bobby-pin from Lucille's hair again just to lock the attic door.

"You need to stop doing that," Lucille groaned, snatching back her bobby-pin.

"I'm sorry," Jared muttered softly, gently patting down Lucille's hair.

"Hey," Niamh suddenly appeared around the corner. "Um...if I'm disturbing something-"

"-no, no, nothing," Jared told her. He quickly turned back to Lucille and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I have to go, but I'll be back, alright? I love you."

He hurried off with Niamh, and Lucille became a bit disheartened. She glanced back at the attic door and then decided to follow the two of them, wherever they were headed.

~~~~~
Jonah and Sarah sat up in the attic on a sheet. There was some food set up like a picnic, but neither of them began eating right away.

"So...what do we talk about when it's not Sibuna?" Sarah asked as she hugged her knees to her chest.

"Tell me about your family," Jonah requested with little thought.

Sarah took a deep breath and nodded. "Well I'm adopted. My mother's name is Nina, and she's American, and my father's name is Fabian. They met in this very house and eventually they got married. They like a lot of things like archaeological digs, and museums, and conventions so whenever they had to go to those, I'd stay at Jerome and Amber's - good family friends. I practically see them as an aunt and uncle."

Jonah nodded.

"Your turn."

"There's Jared of course. And we have an albino ferret. And...we live with our mum back home. Our parents divorced a few years ago."

"H-how was that?"

"Painful to watch. I mean now, I understand the reason for it, but then...I was just a child watching my parents break up and I didn't know why. Then Jared and I were posed the question whom would we like to live with, and we found out our father didn't really want us anyway, so..."

"I'm sorry."

Jonah shook his head. He picked up an apple as he asked, "So have you ever considered looking into finding your real parents?"

Sarah hesitated. "I have found them, actually. I just haven't gone to see them...Enough about family...Let's make this about just us."

Jonah gave a slight nod.

~~~~~
Lucille followed Jared and Niamh off-campus all the way to the group home. She lingered outside as they went into the cozy environment, approaching the front bureau. She hung out in the bushes so people wouldn't spot her and get suspicious, but all the same, if someone did spot her, she'd seem extra suspicious. She leaned forward toward the window pane to watch Jared and Niamh walk around until they were sitting at some designated table. She crept out the bushes in order to move to the other window on the other side of the walkway, but a man in a trench coat suddenly intercepted her pathway.

She looked up to see that it was Rusk.

"Make any sound, I have a gun in my back pocket."

Lucille held her breath in that moment.

"Phone?" Rusk held out his hand.

Lucille removed it from her pocket and passed it over. Rusk glanced through the window at Jared and Niamh. "You, in that car," he pointed back behind him.

Lucille did as he said, not seeing any other option.

"I'll leave this as a little teaser," Rusk smirked. He launched the phone through the window, shattering the glass as to get the attention from the inside, especially Jared and Niamh's.

He hurried back to his car and drove off quickly before there were any witnesses of him.

Meanwhile, Jared and Niamh and the others had been startled by the sudden shattering of glass. Jared recognized Lucille's phone within it all and stepped over the glass to pick it up and examine it more closely. He glanced out the window nervously.

"Do you recognize that?" Niamh asked, concerned.

"It's Lucille's," he muttered.

"Overtly jealous, don't you think?"

"I don't think it was her..." He turned back toward Niamh. "Continue with the thing. I'll be right back."

Niamh reluctantly went back to the table. Someone came to clean up the glass, and Jared headed into the corner as he nervously fiddled with Lucille's phone and used his own to contact the others.

He first tried Jonah who may not have and his phone, and then he tried Sarah who also may have not had her phone. He finally rang William who did pick up, and before he could say hello, Jared asked, "Have you seen Lucille?"

"Uh, no no...Why? What's happened to her?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out...Okay, meet me at the gatehouse, now."

Jared rushed out the group home after making the arrangement and Niamh glanced over at him leaving. She was worried, but she turned her attention back to the woman whom she was talking to.

~~~~~
William hurried out of Anubis house without even signing out as he headed across the campus lawn to the gatehouse. He arrived around the same time as Jared.

"If Rusk took her sh-she has to be in here," Jared stated frantically. He practically threw himself towards the door but it was locked and so he couldn't get in. "There has to be another way. Another way in."

"Jared, calm down," William instructed. "What-what happened exactly."

"No time to explain."

Jared was suddenly tossed into a vision which revealed another entrance location to the gatehouse - on the side, hidden by all the shrubbery. He ran in that direction, closely followed by William, and they found the wooden door which was thankfully unlocked.

"Jared-"

"-please," Jared glanced back at William with teary eyes. "Whatever logical, questionable, anything you have to say, just throw it aside and help me find her."

William heaved a sigh. "Then what are we waiting for?"

~~~~~
Well, Lucille might be in that gatehouse. She might not be. But you won't know yet.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and here are some discussion questions.

Do you think Lucille is in the gatehouse?

If not, where might she have been taken?

Do you think Jared and William can do this without Sarah and Jonah?

Until next time, Aristocrats!