Forest of Riddles (Reverse Falls, S1)

SBP: Part One

The gift shop of the Mystery Shack was always a cool place - at least, it was to Gideon. He didn't mind helping Robbie and Melody put things away or stack souvenirs on shelves. So when his aunt asked him and Pacifica to help out in the gift shop, he accepted right away.

Pacifica wasn't so ready to agree with her cousin, but she ended up doing so anyway. 

Now Gideon placed a mug on a shelf in the gift shop. It had been an alright morning to him - he and Pacifica had gotten up late, due to their adventure they had had yesterday - but he knew Pacifica was still a little down from Ford taking the journal back. 

So he went over to his cousin and joined her in hanging t-shirts on a rack. "Hey, Paz," he said.

Pacifica glanced at him. "Oh, hi."

"So, how are you?"

Pacifica shrugged. "Okay, I guess." She gave him a smile.

"I'm a little tired from yesterday," Gideon admitted. Then his eyes lit up. "Ooh, do you think we'll get to pick something from here?"

"I dunno, but I hope so."

"What would you pick if we could?"

Pacifica's eyes swept over the gift shop. "Probably a necklace or something."

"I wanna pick a grappling hook," Gideon said excitedly.

Pacifica gave him a curious look.

"What?" He shrugged. "Grappling hooks are cool."

Pacifica giggled.

And then suddenly there was a bang, and everyone in the room - the cousins, Robbie, and Melody - all jumped. Ford stormed into the gift shop, looking furious.

"Ford?" Melody said.

"Melody," Ford demanded, "what was this doing in my mailbox?"

Gideon strained his neck to see what Ford had thrust to Melody. Melody blinked and turned what looked like a piece of paper towards her. 

"Oh," she said after a minute. "I'm sure it was a mistake -"

"A mistake?" Ford looked incredulous. "That's unlikely."

Robbie glanced at the paper that Melody held. "Oh, that? I didn't know that was in town again."

"What's in town?" Gideon ventured, as he and Pacifica joined the commotion.

Ford glanced at the cousins, looking momentarily surprised. Then his expression returned to anger, and he waved whatever he was mad about away. "Just a no-good business that has no - er, business reopening."

Pacifica took a look at the paper, and she seemed to be staring at it with much thought. It wasn't long, however, before Ford cleared his throat and grabbed the paper from Melody.

"I'll have to write a complaint again," Ford muttered. "But it won't go through, like the other times."

Pacifica and Gideon shared a look.

There were a few moments of silence as Ford stared at the paper.

Then he shook his head and shoved the piece of paper in his coat pocket. "Yes, well, back to business," he said. "I'm heading to my study; no one interrupt me unless it's urgent."

And then Ford left, and the gift shop was left in silence again.

A few seconds later, Gideon piped up, "What was Ford mad about?"

"I think it was a flyer," Pacifica said. "Said the 'Tent of Telepathy' and 'Mabel Marvelous' on top . . ." She trailed off, sounding thoughtful and curious.