Shake It Out (Rick Tyler Book 2)

Chapter Eleven

Ten minutes later, Dinah ran into the Whitmore-Dougan house.

"Tell me it's not true."

Pat, Barbara, Jennie, and Beth looked at Dinah, tears in their eyes as well.

"No." Dinah said as she let out a sob and started crying. Barbara pulled her into a hug.

Later on in the day, Beth, Dinah and Jennie were in Courtney's room. Beth looked to the girls.

"My goggles are filled with tears but I'm afraid to take them off."

"I know. I don't know what's real and what's not anymore." Dinah replied.

"It's my fault. I should've saved Courtney." Jennie said.

"Don't blame yourself. This same thing happened to Cindy and Courtney tried to save her too but whatever they got sucked into, it's too powerful."

"So what do we do now?" Jennie asked.

"I have no idea." Dinah replied.

Beth's goggles suddenly lit up as Beth's eyes lit up. "What?!" She exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Dinah asked.

"We need to get the others." Beth said as she ran out of Courtney's room and down the stairs, the two girls following after her.

"So let me get this straight." Pat started. "Courtney and Dr. McNider are alive and are in the Shadow Lands?"

"What if this is just another trick?" Mike asked.

"We have to believe in something." Dinah replied.

"Dr. McNider thinks that the Shade can open a doorway to bring them back." Beth added.

"The Shade's the reason Courtney is there in the first place!" Pat exclaimed.

"Well make him rectify that." Barbara responded.

"Guys, if I could just find the Thunderbolt." Mike started but Beth cut him off.

"Dr. McNider said that Jennie can find the Shade. Her ring can detect dark energy, like a dog picking up a scent. Is there anything that might have his scent?" Beth asked.

Barbara went and grabbed the business card the Shade gave her. "Will this work?"

Jennie held the card up with the ring and hesitated. "I don't always have control over the fire. Actually I very rarely do."

"Just keep repeating what you want to do and focus on that." Pat replied.

"Okay. Focus." Jennie said as she closed her eyes. "Find the Shade, save Courtney." The ring suddenly engulfed the business card in a green flame as a map of Blue Valley appeared, with smoke showing where the Shade was.

"He's still in Blue Valley?" Pat asked as he looked at the map.

"In two different locations? How?" Beth asked.

"I don't know. But let's split up and investigate. Girls, why don't you head to the school and investigate that location and Barbara and I will investigate the theater?" Pat said.

"Okay." Dinah said. "Let's go."