Whisperlude

Chapter 3

"So Carlos, you haven't been speaking for two months," Mrs. Pink told him as he wrote; now on his third page.  
"Goodness boy, I asked for a descriptive essay, not a whole book!"  He didn't say anything as he "dotted" something and handed her the paper.  She looked at it.  "Crystalle Pine?" he nodded.
"I'll give you an A," she smiled and put the paper in her desk.  Carlos didn't say anything as he got up and just left.  

     It has been two months since Crystalle went missing.  Carlos sat outside and ate lunch by himself; not even Roberto knew he went outside.  Really, the only person Carlos talked to...was his mom.

     "So, how was school today?", the mama asked as her son walked through the door.
"I mean...it was a normal school day," he replied; there was a soft answer to the boy who didn't look up at his mother.
"So, you going anywhere this afternoon as usual?"
There was a pause.  He nodded.
"I'm going to Roberto's house," he finally said.  His mama widened her eyes.  
"Are you sure?  You've only been on adventures for the last two months," she asked in a lower tone.
"Si.  I'll be back," he smiled as her and hugged her.  She hugged back.  Then he left.

     Carlos had ridden his bicycle and slammed it hard on the Roberto's driveway, in attempts to run to his door.  He banged on it loudly.  Running footsteps came and Robert had swung open the door.
"QUE!?"
"AHH!"
"QUE!?"
"AHH"

     "What!?", Robert said a third time.
"I want to go on a hunt!"
"For what!?"
"For...", Carlos looked around, "Crystalle."
"Oh!  More of a wild goose chase!"
"Roberto!  Please come with me..."
"No."
"What?!  Why!?"
"Because it's stupid!  Carlos, she probably got stolen."
"No, her hot air balloon is gone. That means she went somewhere.  And I'm going to find her!", now he was determined.  
"Okay, if she took her hot air balloon, then she is somewhere far now."
"Just come with me to investigate!  Please!  Something happened to her dad, and she went looking.  I noticed something missing in her life, and I noticed I never saw her dad; so I put the pieces together."
"Okay, what do you plan on doing?  Also, you sound like a mad-man."
"I'm going to talk to her mom."
"Have you ever?"
"Nope!  But there is a first to everything!"

     With that, Robert got on his bike and they rode to Crystalle's house.  Carlos held his hand to knock, then paused.
"What are you doing?"
"What if her mom doesn't like me...?"
"Who cares, just knock!"
"Okay!  Okay!", Carlos knocked.

     The house looked abandoned; old and dull.  So lifeless.  No footsteps, or anything.  No lights on, no movement.  It almost seemed as if no one ever lived there to begin with.  Carlos spotted the doorbell and rang it.

Ding-Dong!

     That noise made Carlos feel a little better; for now there was finally some noise to interrupt the silence from it's speech.
The silence was telling Carlos, "No hope."
"Get lost"
"She won't come back"
"Carlos?", the lady said through the opened door, "What do you need?"
Carlos had completely dazed off!
"Um...we are here to ask questions."
"Well, if you...wait, why?"
"Because I have an idea, I want answers before the expedition; may I?", he motioned his hand through the door.
"I suppose; but don't touch anything," she opened the door for both Carlos and Robert to come in.

     The room smelled of warm cookies and holidays.  The room glowed with the warm sense of gold coming from the chandelier hanging still on the ceiling.  There were family pictures of Crystalle, Crystalle's mom, Crystalle's grandmother...
Along tall bookshelves there were ancient treasures.  Hanging on the walls were ancient airplane parts, ancient treasures from all over the world, trophies of different languages, pictures of different types of people, flags of different countries, and army clothes.  Two sets.  A male set and a female set.  Lastly, there were silver and golden knights in each corner of the room.

"Be Extraordinary!", was written on the far wall that you first look at.
"Woah...it's like a world adventurer lives here!  Wait, do you collect things Mrs. Leafe?", Carlos asked.  This was completely astonishing.
"No, I do not collect things.  Me, my husband, and Crystalle went everywhere when Crystalle was younger," Mrs. Leafe replied.  This place looked like a complete museum.  All of the ancient gimmicks, the warm glow, and the family pictures made Roberto and Carlos extremely cozy. 

     "Where is your husband Mrs. Leafe?"
Carlos asked without hesitation.  Mrs. Leafe paused.  She looked dazed for a moment; Carlos realized Crystalle looked like that a lot, too.  Mrs. Leafe started to walk to the kitchen.  Carlos watched her and waited.  Robert stood there staring at everything like an excited puppy seeing his owner at the door.

     About three minutes later, Mrs. Leafe came back with a book.  It was a photo album.

"He is in here...", she smiled softly, "here", she pointed to her head, "and here," lastly she pointed to her heart.  Carlos' eyes got wide, his eyebrows went down, and he knew.
He was gone.
"I haven't told Crystalle yet, but it's been four months.  He was already  out of town, and I had gotten the call three days after he had left.
He went to Michigan those days," her voice was shakey and she didn't look up.  The boys listened. 
"He would take us all across the world, you see?  He was so loving; so gentle.  Crystalle is a lot like him.  Determined, stubborn, gentle, kind, and had prosperity.  They were so much alike, they would say things at the same time.  They would think, look at each other, and laugh; because, they knew what the other thought.  He meant the world to her...and ever since he passed from a heart attack, she hasn't been the same.  She is more mysterious than she really is, she is more light hearted then she really puts off.  There is something missing...and now...", tears formed.
"Now it's my daughter."

                                                        Maybe one day...

     Carlos' eyes flickered.
"Michigan, you say Mrs. Leafe?"
"Yes."
"Don't worry," he smiled and his eyes glimmered," she will be back.

"I promise."

     Mrs. Leafe looked at her pictures of the man.  The man had a sharp chin line, dark hair, light eyes, broad shoulders, and the brightest of smiles.
     "She looks just like you except for the male part, the hair style part, and the height.  Might I just say, she acts like you the most."