The Clear Creek Mysteries - Rocky Rises

Chapter 8: Here We Go

"What!?" yelled Max, rather loudly. Karen giggled quietly.

Isaac was a boy their age, with long, brown, and very messy hair. There were some girls in his class that were pretty rude to him.

Brooke and Maddie smiled at her. "When did he go missing?" Lincoln replied. "Well," Owen began. "We were just playing board games by flashlight, and Isaac was too, but then we looked up and realized he had been gone for an hour. So his friends went to the bathroom to find him. But he wasn't there."

"Okay, did you check the other classrooms?"

"Yes," Owen said. "But only the rooms very near us. We didn't want to go too far. We might get lost, or worse, disappear."

"That was smart." Maddie mumbled to herself. "Oh," she said, turning back to the others. "Which rooms did you go to?"

"Just the fifth grade rooms," Owen replied.

"Not sixth grade?" asked Lincoln. "No, we didn't want to risk anything," Owen continued. "Or anyone."

"Okay," Max sighed. "We're on the case."

They were just about to leave when Owen held them back. "Also, we have a new system," he said quickly, so he didn't take too much time. "The boys will hang out in the McCook classroom, and the girls in Miss Baker's classroom."

"What about Jones' room?" Karen questioned.

"I was getting to that," Owen replied. "We all have meetings and other stuff there. And, if anyone is in trouble, they are to come straight here, if possible."

"Are you sure you want to risk walking in between classrooms?" Maddie asked, looking concerned.

"One room isn't enough space for all of us, and we will have two risponsible sixth graders right outside of the doors at all times. Right now we have Emma and Ethan out there.

"Also," Max said. "are you all going to eat in the lunchroom, where there's leftover food, or do you want us to bring back food for you all?"

"Ethan and Emma were going to be the ones to get the food, but we need them here to keep guard. So, we decided that Rowan and Eliza will do it. They are our next most responsible people, so we can trust them."

"Good," Max said, impressed by Owen's ideas.

"Let's go, guys. We don't have a moment to lose," Brooke said. "Isaac and the pops could be anywhere."

"Well," Lincoln said, after they were up the hall by Mrs. Pennington's room. "We're done for. And by 'we', I mean all of us. The whole fifth grade."

"Why would we be done for?" Karen asked.

"Well, first of all," he continued, glaring at Karen. "Isaac's been gone for over an hour now, and we haven't seen him. We looked everywhere twice!"

"I guess you do have a point." Karen said, thoughtfully.

"And," Lincoln wasn't finished. "How many kids have disappeared?"

"Eleven kids," Maddie said, quickly adding up the number of children in her head. "Including Isaac." She added.

"Yeah," Lincoln said, turning to the others. "It's been two days, and we still haven't found anyone."

And Lincoln was right. It had been technically two days trapped in the school, but they had been looking for one day.

"Well," Brooke said. "We can't lose hope. We shouldn't lose it all now. We almost did a while ago, and now look at what we have." She snatched a sticky-note from Maddie and waved it in the air. "This sticky-note could be a clue, a clue to get out of here. " They all agreed with her, and set off looking again.