Reverse Falls [DISCONTINUED]

The Hand that Rocks the Pine: Part Seven

The Southeasts held a family meeting before dinner and after tours had ended for the day. The meeting, of course, included Melody and Ford. 

"Okay," Mr. Southeast began, once everyone had found somewhere to sit. "Gideon. What happened?"

"No, it was my fault," Pacifica cut in before Gideon could speak. "I asked to visit the Tent of Telepathy . . . I made Ford take us."

"I don't blame you," Melody remarked. "You've been trapped in this house or on vacation every summer."

"But I didn't tell her it was a bad idea," Gideon added, throwing himself under the blame. "If I had refused, you could've lost of business, though -"

Mrs. Southeast smiled. "At least you weren't only thinking of yourself." Then she turned to her daughter and asked, "Pacifica, I want to know what happened in the gift shop today."

Oh boy.

"Um." Pacifica started playing with strands of her ponytail. "I broke up Mabel and Gideon because Gideon didn't want to, and then she came here and she fought me with -"

Ford shot Pacifica a sharp look.

Pacifica changed her answer at top speed. "- with, um, nothing! We just argued, and then her brother showed up and brought her home." And made her pass out, she mentally added.

Mr. Southeast frowned. "Mabel? She's a part of the Mystery Twins?"

The cousins nodded. 

"I visited their manager and asked not to involve any of you in anything," Ford added, "but that didn't work."

"Well," Mrs. Southeast said, "I think we all learned to not keep you inside the house all summer."

"Finally," Pacifica groaned. Everyone laughed at that statement.

"Meeting adjourned!" Mr. Southeast called, chuckling.

Mrs. Southeast and Melody headed into the kitchen to start on dinner. Mr. Southeast grabbed the latest newspaper and started reading it. The cousins made to go to their rooms, but Ford stopped them.

"Come with me," he said.

The cousins exchanged a look. Had they done anything remotely forbidden lately . . .?

Once they were in the gift shop, Ford pulled something out of the jacket he always wore and put it into Pacifica's hands.

Pacifica looked at her hands. Her heart skipped a beat.

The third journal.

"I think you two need this after these couple of weeks," Ford said. "I've already copied down everything I wanted."

"We can get it back?" Pacifica's face lit up. "For real?"

"Well, for now," Ford corrected. "I still have the right to ask for it back, of course."

Pacifica nodded. "Thanks, Ford!" she called, running off with Gideon.

It wasn't long before they had locked themselves in Pacifica's part of the room. They immediately sat down and started to read the journal.

"What do you think we'll see next?" Pacifica mused, turning the pages.

Gideon snickered and pointed to a drawing of a carpet. "How about a nice and harmless carpet?"

Pacifica laughed. "Experiment 072? How dangerous could a carpet be?"

"A squash with a human face and emotions? I'm starting to wonder if anything in here is real."