Elgin's Enigma ✔

Part 46

INT. GOAT MAN'S HOUSE–DAY

MIN looks at a mess laid on the table. Papers of drawings cover every inch of the table and Min shoves the papers to one side. They find a codex underneath the mess and start flipping through the pages.

MIN CONT'D: Can you children clean up after your mess? Keep the damn drawings to yourself.

RANDI: You mean the memes?

MIN: The hell is a meme?

RANDI: You know what, you can figure that out yourself.

Min stops looking through the codex and stares at Randi in confusion. Randi stays silent and scribbles onto a sheet of paper.

MIN CONT'D: Wow, you are very helpful.

RANDI: Yes, I am a knowledge of fountain.

MIN (confused): What?

RANDI: What?

PETER walks up to the table and places a drawing onto the table. Min picks it up and gives a confused look. The drawing consists of a llama looking outside a circular window with blinds and outside the window there are goats running around. There is writing on the drawing as well.

MIN CONT'D (reads): Peter inside a guitar versus all of you outside of the guitar.

PETER (smiles confidently): The children said it was excellent.

MIN: A guitar...?

Peter nods happily and a crow catches his attention.

PETER CONT'D: You are back for another preaching, I see.

Peter walks off to preach to the crow. Min gives a frustrated sigh and continues to flip through the book's pages. They pause and their mouth forms a scowl.

MIN: Who the fuck messed with the codex?

Randi's eyes widen slightly. Min gives a questioning look to Randi and Randi tentatively leaves the room. VANESSA walks in through the door and Randi runs past her. She does a double take.

VANESSA CONT'D: Is Randi okay?

MIN: I don't know but it smells like guilt to me.

VANESSA: I think it's just fear.

MIN: The innocent doesn't run away like that.

VANESSA: But the cowardly do.

MIN: Whatever. I'll deal with that one later. I have to fix the codex.

VANESSA: What's wrong with the codex?

MIN: Someone messed up the timeline and put repetitive information. Do we really need have two accounts of what Peter said?

PETER (shouts from a distance): Yes!

MIN (to Peter): Keep playing with your bird.

VANESSA: Oh. Uh. I think that was me.

MIN: You did what?

VANESSA: I wanted to help add to the codex.

Min takes a pause before taking a deep breath.

MIN CONT'D: Vanessa?

VANESSA: Yeah?

MIN: Talk to me first before you add anything.

VANESSA: Who made you leader of the codex?

MIN: I started the codex on that ugly wall with red string. I helped organize everything, so I've been organizing the condensed version as well.

VANESSA: But, I started the detective's club.

MIN: We don't even call it the detective's club anymore honestly. We all came up with a fake name so everyone's parents wouldn't get suspicious.

VANESSA: Wait, you guys made a new name?

MIN: Yeah. The ECPU which stands for the Elgin Citizen Protection Unit. The parents really like that with all the dangers that have been going on lately. Said it was good to learn self defense from the bad guys.

VANESSA: Why didn't anyone tell me this?

MIN: Only the people who are worried about their parents catching onto them are using it. Don't worry too much. It's only a cover up name.

VANESSA: How many people use this name?

MIN: Almost everyone honestly. It gets them out of chores.

VANESSA: You have to be kidding me. Who made this name? We didn't discuss this during a meeting.

MIN: Well, me and few others were talking the other day and we just happened to come up with the name and put the notice in the codex.

VANESSA: You got to be kidding me.

MIN: Anyways. If you plan to mess with the codex again, please talk to me so I can tell you what actually does need to be done. There's a list on the front too but it seems like you don't really read.

Vanessa's hand forms into a fist and my mouth presses into a tight line.

VANESSA CONT'D: Alright.

MIN: Is there anything else that needs to be said?

VANESSA: I was looking to see if anyone wanted to come and try to unlock the catacombs. The new mayor is planning to tear down the catacombs any day now and since we got the key we can test those.

MIN: I'll let other people know. When are you leaving?

VANESSA: This evening.

MIN: Noted.

Vanessa is about to leave, and Min stops her.

MIN CONT'D: Also, one more thing so everyone gets the message. Don't use my stuff without asking me and don't try to use my alchemy formulas or there will be dire consequences.

VANESSA (awkward): Ah... Gotcha.

Vanessa walks away and Peter is sitting near the exit with the crow. Peter looks up to the girl and she stares back at him in confusion. Peter gives her a solemn look and she's even more confused.

PETER CONT'D: The goat is bleating for chaos.

VANESSA: Er, what?

PETER: Time is soon.

VANESSA: Could you explain?

Peter turns his attention back to the crow. Vanessa stares at him for another moment before turning the door handle.