…CKING KIDDING ME!
For those of you who read the previous post and are wondering why I chose to end the previous reaction with a partial F-bomb, October and his friends had escaped too quickly from a tunnel underneath Mrs. Gridbes’ house!
And rather than continue to investigate that aspect, decide that a CLOBBING footprint is the most important thing to investigate!
Or if not the tunnel, then maybe the bomb dropped in the end of chapter 4?
Or maybe they could thinking about the other clues they’ve already found in the previous chapter?
Or even how the intruder was able to find them at the end of the last chapter?
A footprint is the least important thing they should be investigating right now.
But anyway, let’s get into the rest of this.
“The odds of finding a footprint…how large could it be?” George queried.
“It’s not the odds, George. It’s the fact we can do it,” October asserted firmly. Suddenly, an idea clicked in October’s head. October went to the bedroom and grabbed his phone from the counter. Then, getting back to the others, October typed: Donut Shops in Lark Cowl.
Why is he thinking about donuts after they literally just ate? This seems very out of character for October.
“Zounds, October, a donut shop?” I looked at October curiously.
October’s grin told me he had a plan forming inside; it just needed time to develop.
“Too small…not enough space…still not enough space…perfect! I found the perfect donut shop!” October clicked his fingers.
“What?” they marveled.
“There’s a donut shop on Ridge Road,” October replied.
“West or east?”
“West,” October replied.
“What time will we go?” George asked.
“Well, it is 8:30, and we’ll go at 11:30,” October observed.
George exclaimed, “We have three hours to wait.”
“Oh, is it a good idea to bring Mrs. Gridbes and the other teachers?” I asked.
“Be my guest,” October replied.
WHY?! In the span of less than 24 hours, her home has been invaded twice, she has a secret tunnel under her house, and her lawn was air-bombed.
She should want nothing to do with you guys. And you shouldn’t involve in whatever the clob October is planning until absolutely necessary.
I’m surprised October isn’t more against this!
I picked up the phone and dialed her number. “Mrs. Gridbes, this is Jake…do you think you can meet us at the donut shop on Ridge Road with the other teachers, and it’s west not east. What time? Oh, 11:30…You will? Good! Bye-bye.” I hung up.
WHY, younger me, WHY?! If October and his friends are going to involve Mrs. Gridbes with the other teachers, you should have had them go back to the house!
“How about we drive around Lark Cowl?” October suggested.
“Good idea,” they agreed.
“Won’t the room be messed up?” David asked warily.
That’s a suspiciously specific concern to be worried about. I wonder what it sets up later.
“No, not if we don’t leave our pass key in the room,” October replied, putting the pass key in his pocket.
October locked the door and walked out the door, and we followed him out of the door.
October glanced at his watch.
On the way to the elevator, October’s mind streamed to the events that happened last night. Was there was a coincidence? Or a connection?
“I’m sure there is a connection,” October speculated, “but what is it?”
October gasped.
“What, October?” I asked in surprise.
“I’m sure there’s a connection between the events; the events were caused by the same person!” October said.‘
Ok, Captain Obvious much?
“Good grief! I never thought that!” Aidan exclaimed.
“Well, it’s possible,” October remarked.
“Leaping lizards! If it is true, maybe we can get a trace of the person! ”George enthused.
They were on the elevator, and upon getting off, went toward the car. They went inside the car.
Scarcely had October started the engine when we heard a revving on Summer Lee Drive.
“What was that?” George burst out.
October drove out of the harbor, and to his surprise there was the intruder from last night!
“Oh my magic lantern! We keep running into this guy” October exclaimed. “There’s the intruder from last night! After him!”
They drove eastward on Summer Lee Drive, but the intruder, smiling at their attempts to catch him, just sped on in his SUV.
“Suffering speed limit! We’re going to lose him!” October groaned.
“What in Sam Hill? He’s going too fast!” George exploded.
“Too fast? How is that possible?” October’s eyes bulged like a briefcase.
“Zounds, you’re right, George!” I exploded.
“Hypers!” cried George.
“Leaping lizards!” said October. He sped the car close to the intruder so he could advantage, but the intruder smiled and drove on.
“For Pete’s sake!” October exploded. “Why isn’t it working?”
“He must be out of his mind,” George remarked indignantly.
Chase grimaced. “And how! I can’t imagine what’s going to happen next!”
Scarcely were the words uttered when the intruder whammed his SUV into October’s black convertible.
They gasped.
“He’s definitely out of his cotton-picking mind,” fumed October.
Ok, the intruder better not be a black guy, otherwise this is an uncharacteristically unintentionally racist thing that you just had October say, younger me.
“Oh! He might’ve broken your car!” George exclaimed, then raged to the smirking intruder, “All right, you clown! You’ve had your fun! Now stop!”
The intruder suddenly drove his car backwards!
“Good night! How’d he do that?” October said.
He swerved his car, dodging the oncoming car like a cheetah. The intruder drove off.
George groaned. “He got away!”
“Leave him,” October suggested. “Besides, we need to…Oh, my gosh! It’s 11:00!”
How? They didn’t leave the city, they didn’t even leave the clobbin’ street they were on!
“Suffering slip-ups! We’ve been chasing the intruder so long that the teachers could be at the donut shop already!” George moaned.
Quickly, they arrived at the donut shop.
“Where have you been?” Mrs. Gridbes demanded.
“Chasing an intruder,” October replied.
“Goodness gracious!” Mrs. Gridbes exclaimed.
Suddenly George exclaimed from outside, “I found a footprint!”
WHAT THE ACTUAL CLOB?! ALREADY?! REALLY?!
WHAT WENT WRONG WITH THIS CHAPTER
Oh my motherclobbing Lanta, this chapter is just infuriating on how much potential it wastes.
The intruder shows up three times this chapter. When I say none of them lead to the plot moving forward in any major significant way, I clobbing mean it!
Not even the first time, which was probably the best way, when he got them to Mrs. Gridbes’ house, which you’d think would be the best location to go to the next day!
But apparently not!
Once again, just like the road trip, this “trapped under a house” element isn’t even given a full chapter to be dedicated to!
AND THE FINDING OF THE FOOTPRINT, WHICH WAS SO DYNAM MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE HOUSE TUNNEL WAS FOUND OFF CLOBBING PAGE!
Mystery writers—when it comes to building clues, you got to consider everything that came before what you wrote.
Otherwise, your mystery will end up disjointed.
CONCLUSION
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this reaction!
Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. Did you like it? Did you not?
What do you think should have been focused on in Chapter 6?
Chapter 7 Reaction is coming next Tuesday, so stay tuned more!
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