Nephew of the Forgotten One: Chapter Three
Nephew of the Forgotten One: Chapter Three
Tracy
It just wasn't going our way recently. First Miss Ringo disappeared during some odd encounter with what Picky called "Starman Junior" and then all this trouble with Red Night started.
Ness gave us the advice to head to Giant Step, northwest of Onett. But we never got there: Red Night had vandalised the area, and Mayor Strong had closed Giant Step off for now.
After we started investigating Red Night, they bombed Picky's house.
Belet Prettyman wrongly accused Picky of setting the bombs. And Lardna Minch believed him! Picky got grounded for a year. There's no way the world can be saved from Giogas unless I can clear Picky's good name.
I started writing in my diary.
1384 was the Box where the letter-parcel consistency continued to persist. There were four
instances in which that happened. Each time a letter was sent from 1384 and a parcel received
a few days later.
After the fourth instance, there was a case wherein a letter was sent from 1384 to 1035 then
sent to Happy Happy Village via Twoson. Only days later did a parcel arrive. At 1384.
After that, I rewrote it and hid it under my mattress. I knew Red Night knew who we were; I didn't want them ensuring they would remain anonymous.
I quickly changed into my pyjamas and hopped into bed. My mom came in and kissed me good night. Ness gave me a request to stay out of trouble from the hallway. I fell asleep quite quickly.
I woke up the next day, happy it was a new day. Hopefully I would be able to save Picky from the troubles of this Red Night scandal.
I skipped breakfast; I wanted to get down to the post office as soon as possible to try and unmask Red Night.
Five hours passed. I watched hundreds of Onettians go in and out of the post office. Those who came out with parcels did not pick up their parcels from the 1300 block of the post office boxes.
I nibbled on some food I'd snuck out with me on my way out this morning.
I was so focused on finding a connection between the 1300 block and parcels that I didn't hear the roller blader near me.
"I hear you're looking for Red Night," he hissed.
I whirled around.
"How would you know that?" I demanded of the boy. He was no older than I, but I could clearly see his face was red, flushed and angry.
"Blood Moon doesn't want anyone fooling with his plan. En garde!"
He rushed at me!
I whipped my fry pan out and dodged out of the way!
"Blood Moon is rising," the Red Night gangster hissed, "and will smite those who look unkindly upon him."
He stopped, narrowly evading crashing into the wall of the post office and rushed at me again. I used my fry pan as a shield, and like an idiot, that Red Night gangster ran into it. Yelping, he ran back home to Blood Moon. Whoever that is.
I felt like I had "gained a level". Moreover, it felt like I had realised some sort of PSI power. PSI Thunder Alpha.
I sighed. I wasn't going to find Blood Moon or Red Night anytime soon. Not as I was. Fighting with that Red Night had tired me out much more than I thought. And I felt weaker. Like I had something called "hit points", but I wasn't currently at my maximum.
I remembered that the Red Night had been able to slash me below my knees. I quickly checked my legs: no blood. I still felt, though, that it would be prudent to see if Ness knew anything about getting defense items.
"Where's Ness?" I asked my mother.
"You already forgot?" she asked. "The Onett Giants headed off to Fourside today, so they could practice to play the Enrichs tomorrow..."
I blushed, embarrased.
"Tracy!" my mom cried, shocked. "Your legs are all scratched up! Let me bandage them!"
"Oh, mom..." I muttered.
My mother ushered me to a chair, and was about to pour iodine on the scratches before bandaging them. Then the phone rang. I was closest, so I picked it up.
"Picky?" I asked, dumbfounded. "I thought you were grounded!"
"I am," came the reply.
"Then why are you risking getting grounded for a longer period of time?"
"It's... because... I found something that frightens me. 1384 and 1035 are owned by--"
Suddenly the connection was cut off.
I pounded on the door to Picky's house. I struggled with the lock. It was locked, but mysteriously loose.
"Oh no..." I moaned. "Picky!"
I struggled with the the lock a bit more.
"PICKY!" I cried. "Bring him back!"
I knew Picky's disappearance wasn't voluntary. And I knew who took him, too. Blood Moon, leader of Red Night.
They were not going to get away with this. I stomped off to the Onett Drugstore, pulling out Ness' ATM card. Oh, how sweet this revenge would be...
"What's a dog doing here?" I mused. By the ATM stood a dog literally walking in place.
I hunched down and checked the dog's collar.
I read the tag. "R-U-F-F-I-N-I. Ruffini?"
I dismissed the thought. Surely, this Ruffini-dog was of no use.
I got back to business. I purchased only a Cheap bracelet; there were other items, though. I just felt I had no use for them.
I slipped the Bracelet onto my right wrist and I began to wander around Onett, idly calling out, challenging Red Night. I know it was foolish, but I had to do it! Picky was depending on it.
Picky
I groggily struggled awake. I smelled maple syrup... and I knew Onett was known for its maple syrup toasted Cookies. In fact, I don't think that other areas of Eagleland have maple tree orchards. Therefore, I knew I was still in the Onett area. The only thing I didn't know was where in the Onett area...
Then, I realised it. I was blind! I could see nothing but darkness!
I had been rendered blind! But why that sense? Why not render me deaf? Or numb?
"Let me go!" I pleaded to my captors, if they were still with me.
I heard a scuffling and a clicking. Kind of like there was a switch under a lot of paper.
A robotic voice clicked on.
"You were investigating Red Night," the voice explained, "and I can't let you defeat Red Night. There's too much on the line."
"What's on the line?" I asked kindly.
"There is no need to explaining that," the voice crackled, "and your usefulness has been outlived."
"What? How was I useful?"
"Again, no need."
I felt a strong pressure on my head, and everything went black again. Just like when I was knocked out. When I was telling Tracy that the first box was owned by--
Owned by--
Owned by...
Tracy
"Come on, Red Night! Chickens, are you?" I taunted. "Chickens and cowards! Willing to kidnap one person after you, but too cowardly to come after me after I beat one of your own!"
It was too weird. I hadn't encountered one Red Night gangster since that morning; they had all disappeared.
But why did they disappear? It made no sense.
"I bought this Cheap bracelet for nothing... No wonder it's called cheap."
"Tracy Lee!" a voice boomed. "What have you done with Picky?"
I whirled around.
Oh no, I moaned. Lardna Minch...
She brought her car to a stop and hopped out.
"Where has my Picky gone?" she demanded. "Tell me! Or I'll get you strung up on a kidnapping charge!"
"I have no idea where Picky went! He called me, then he just disa--"
"WHAT?" Lardna exclaimed. "He called you?"
"Let me fini--"
"Oh, I see it now! You're lying! Wait until your mother hears of this! You'll be grounded the whole summer! You'll--"
I jumped back. She fell prone onto the ground.
"Red Night!" I hissed.
"Only half right," a gruff voice muttered. "The red night of the blood moon is coming. Only half righ--"
I struggled awake. The stark lack of colour in Bush Hospital frightened me. I shot upright.
My mother was sitting beside me, anxiously holding my left hand.
"Mom!" I pleaded. "How did I come to be here?"
"The police officers found you and Lardna Minch near each other. Unconscious. They called Belet Prettyman and I over here once the two of you were hospitalised," my mother explained.
"How long will I be here?" I timidly inquired.
"Hopefully, only a few more hours. Belet's going to host a dinner for the parents of the Giants. The younger kids of the players will be cared for at the Minches' house; there will be a babysitter. I want you to go."
Picky's house? I wondered. I could get the information myself!
Belet Prettyman appeared from behind a curtain.
"I was so worried when you and Lardna were found unconscious. I rushed right down to get you to the hospital!" he explained hurriedly. He quickly bowed in respect, then added, "I hope you'll be well enough to attend the 'Good Luck, Giants!' children's dinner at my house tonight."
He hurried off.
I'd wanted to ask him why he was holding the dinner. After all, he didn't have any children on the team. Was he just being nice?
Moreover, it was too strange! There was four boys, and me! And one adult: Belet.
We were upstairs, preparing a game of Clue. I said I was a little tired, that I would rest downstairs. I didn't want to have to "go" to the bathroom about twenty times while I was checking StatsPare.
Knowing Picky, he probably put what I was looking for into twenty different text files. That wouldn't matter at all.
I held Apple and hit the F key. Sherlock opened up.
I made my first search:
Containing: 1384
Five text files appeared, and I memorised their names.
I made my next search:
Containing: 1035
Only three files were consistent with both searches. I opened them up.
"Tracy, Tracy, Tracy," Belet scolded. "Have you checked the sky tonight?"
He whipped open the curtain in front of the computer.
I gasped.
The moon...
...it was pink!
Picky
I could see again! At least, I think I could. Well, I could make shapes out better than before. Maybe the blindfold had been taken off.
Yes! That was it! But I must have been out for some time.
I tried moving around, but I couldn't.
As my vision adjusted to the darkness, I saw the room was probably painted all one colour. From the regular contouring, I knew I was in some sort of loghouse. I just didn't know whether it was a log house... or a cabin.
"So, you're awake," a gruff sort of voice said.
"How long have you been here?" I demanded of him.
"About twenty minutes," the man replied, "and I believe your friend is in trouble." In the dark, I could have sworn the moon was reflecting off sunglasses over his eyes.
"T... Tracy?" I gasped for air. No, not Tracy!
"Tracy Lee?" the man mused. "Yeah. Blood Moon and Red Night are going for her..."
Belet!
Tracy
Belet Prettyman, alias Blood Moon, and the other siblings of the players from the Onett Giants, alias Red Night, neared me. I scrambled to my bag and pulled my Fry pan out of it.
"Come and get me, mobsters!" I taunted. "Can't catch me!"
The Red Night gangsters pulled their signature gear from their backpacks: rollerblades, boomerangs and scooters. Yes, scooters. They armed them, and I prepared for a long flight. They had even taken the time to dress in their signature costumes! Blood Moon drew two knifes, one for each hand, and they glistened in the light of the Minches' house.
"The blood moon reflects what will happen!" Belet whooped. "Rather than predicting war, like Mars," he yipped, "the blood moon predicts death!" Belet sounded like an insane man.
While he was in that monologue, I wisely beat it out of Lardna's house. It was too dangerous remaining in the house.
"Blood Moon!" one Red Night warned. "The Lee girl's escaping!"
Uh-oh. I ran faster.
I panted. It was futile, trying to escape Red Night. But I had to escape; the survival of the world depended on my escaping.
It was getting too close for comfort, too tiring to run further. I struggled to make it into the city centre of Onett. My stomach started cramping.
"Miss Lee," Blood Moon said, clucking, "resistance is useless. The blood moon will appear; its prediction will come true."
I fell onto my butt.
I noticed the moon had now become a light crimson. I was running out of time!
Suddenly Red Night started falling. Falling hard. Really hard.
"My followers!" Blood Moon exclaimed, evidently shocked. "Why are they all falling?"
He began to rush at me, knives reflecting the pale redness of the moon. It wasn't blood red, but it would be soon.
"Tracy!" Picky cried. "If you know PSI, use it now!"
Picky! He'd escaped!
"PICKFORD?" Blood Moon stopped running at me. "How did he escape?"
"Use your PSI now!" Picky urged.
"PSI Thunder Alpha!" I yelled. It didn't work!
"Keep trying!" Picky beckoned.
"PSI Thunder Alpha!" It didn't work again!
"Give me a second!" Picky drew his baseball bat and, running towards him, whacked Blood Moon right in the ankles. "Do it now!"
"PSI Thunder Alpha!"