Challenge Three: Going Going, Back Back, to Cali Cali

            “Where the hell were you?” Adrian demanded when Moira appeared from behind a booth.

            “I—I got something to eat and I was playing some games,” she said.

            “By yourself?”

            “Yeah,” she lied. She couldn’t tell them about Toby. Not yet.

            “So, you won that panda yourself?” Adrian asked, nodding at the stuffed animal Moira held in her arms.

            “Uh . . . yeah. I’m really good at games.”

            Lily came up to Moira and got as close to her as the giant panda would allow. “We were looking for you forever and you were off playing games?”

            “Not so timid now, is she?” Moira muttered to herself under her breath. Raising her voice, she said, “Yeah. After being trapped in that tiny room, I had to go do something fun. Got a problem with that?”

            Lily quickly backed off. “No, I guess not.”

            “So what now?” Jesse asked.

            “Well, we’re supposed to have the night off. Why don’t we go get some food—those of us that haven’t already,” Adrian suggested, looking pointedly at Moira. “Then we can have some fun and find someplace to crash for the night. I guess we’ll get our instructions in the morning.”

            “Hey, it’s not my fault you guys didn’t eat!” Moira said.

            “Actually, yeah it is,” Lily told her. “We were looking for you instead of eating.”

            “Well, sor-ry. Let’s go find you guys some food.” She hoped that they wouldn’t run into Toby and his team. Not that she didn’t want to see him again, but it would be hard to not go up to him and they couldn’t risk their respective teams finding out about them yet.

            Moira trailed behind the rest of the group as they wandered through the fair, trying to decide what to eat. She wanted nothing more than to go find a hotel room, maybe email Toby like she had promised, and curl up in bed. She was still trying to process her time with Toby. She was overwhelmingly happy that she had finally been able to see him in person, able to actually touch him—but at the same time, she hated the fact that they were competing against each other.

            She was so absorbed in her thoughts, that she didn’t notice when Will dropped back to walk next to her. “Are you okay?” he asked her quietly.

            She jumped and almost dropped the panda that she was still clutching. “Yeah!” she laughed, cringing a little at how high her voice was pitched.

            “I know that after being trapped in that tiny room like you were, I probably wouldn’t be okay,” he told her.

            She stopped walking and stared him down. “Look, I told you I’m fine. I don’t need someone to coddle me.”

            “Fine,” Will mumbled. “I was just trying to make sure you were okay.”

            Moira hesitated. Maybe she should be a little nicer to him. He had freed her from one of her worst nightmares, after all. “Sorry. It’s just been a long day, and I’m a little tired.”

            “S’okay,” Will said. He started to walk away.

            “Will?”

            He stopped and looked back at Moira again. “Yeah?”

            “Thanks for saving me in there.”

            He shrugged. “No problem.”

            After everyone had eaten, they stood around, trying to decide what to do next. “Should we go on some rides?” Lily suggested.

            “Lil, I’m too tired for rides,” Jesse said. “Let’s go find a motel room or something for the night.”

            They all headed for the parking lot. When they reached the car, everyone turned to stare at Moira. “You’re not really going to bring that thing in the car with us, are you?” Lily asked.

            Moira clutched her panda protectively. “Hell yes I am!”

            Lily rolled her eyes while Will helped Moira try to fit the stuffed animal in the trunk with their bags. “I don’t know why she bothered to get that thing,” she muttered to her brother and Jesse.

            “Hey!” Moira said as she slammed the trunk. “What I get or don’t get is none of your damn business.”

            Lily shrank back behind Adrian. “Sorry.”

            “She sure gives up easily, doesn’t she?” Moira whispered to Will. He nodded in agreement.

            After driving around for a little while, they found a small motel on the main road through the town. Adrian and Lily went inside to check them in while the others waited in the car.

            “The biggest they had was a room with two beds,” Adrian told them when he and Lily came out of the office.

            “I’ll sleep on the floor,” Will volunteered.

            “You sure, man? Jess or I can sleep on the floor,” Adrian said.

            “Yeah, it’s cool. I don’t mind.”

            “Okay,” Adrian agreed, shrugging his shoulders.

            They all dragged their bags out of the trunk. Moira tried to grab her panda, but everyone else got so annoyed that she had to leave it there.

            “Well, it’s not much, but it’s only for one night,” Jesse said when they got to their room.

            “Are you kidding me? This whole place looks like it’s straight out of some bad slasher film!” Moira said as she came up behind him.

            They stood just inside the room and took in the threadbare bedding, the worn 70’s style brown shag carpet, and the thin curtains. “This is worse than the room we woke up in,” Will said.

            “Whatever, let’s just go to sleep. We can get out of here first thing in the morning,” Adrian said.

            “And go where? We have no idea what we’re supposed to do next,” Moira reminded them.

            “Uhhh . . . maybe there will be a message on the TV again, or in the CD player,” Jesse said.

            “Do I have to share with her?” Lily asked her brother.

            “No, you can sleep with me,” Adrian told her.

            “Hold on a minute!” Moira said. “As much as I would rather not share with Lily, there’s no way I’m sharing a bed with Jesse.”

            “Afraid you can’t keep your hands off me?” Jesse asked, slinging an arm across Moira’s shoulders.           

            She stepped away and shrugged Jesse’s arm off of her. “Ew, no! I have a boyfriend. And since I have yet to even sleep in the same bed as him, there’s no way I’m sleeping in the same bed as some guy I barely know. Lily, you’re going to have to share with me.”

            “It’s okay, Lil,” Adrian reassured her. “Jess and I will sleep by the door. You and Moira can take the other bed. Nothing’s going to hurt you. That is, nothing’s gonna come inside and hurt you. I can’t say the same about her.” He nodded at Moira.

            “What is this, gang up on Moira night? I’m not going to hurt her or anyone else,” Moira said.

            “You don’t kick in your sleep, do you?” Lily asked.

            “Not that I know of.”

            They took turns in the small bathroom so they could change into pajamas and brush their teeth. They finally settled down to sleep, but their sleep was plagued by nightmares of what had happened to them in the funhouse earlier that day.

            They woke early in the morning and got ready quickly. “Should we just wait around and see if anyone comes to give us instructions?” Jesse asked as they were repacking their bags.

            “I vote for food,” Will said.

            “Good idea, man,” Adrian told him. “Let’s go check out and go find some breakfast.”

            Jesse volunteered to drive. “Can I sit up front again?” Lily asked.

            “Yeah, we don’t want you puking on us,” Adrian said.

            “You mean I’m stuck in the back, in between two guys again?” Moira wanted to know. She had had horrible dreams the night before, of Toby being trapped in a box drowning while she was barricaded in a small room desperately trying to get to him. She hadn’t slept well and was inwardly cursing the fact that either of them had gone on the show. She hoped to God that they would both survive it.

            “Yes, you’re stuck with me and Will,” Adrian told her.

            “Great.” She rolled her eyes as they all climbed in the car.

            As soon as Jesse turned the key in the ignition, the CD player came on with Chance Cagney’s voice. “Good morning, my little criminals! We’re bringing you a choice this morning. Two options await you. You may either head to Florida and brave the swamps, or go to California and try your luck in Death Valley. Both locations have been programmed into your GPS. You simply have to choose one. You will find supplies in the trunk. Remember, the Hunters will be following you no matter where you go. Good luck.”

            “So, where to?” Moira asked.

            “California!” Adrian, Lily and Jesse said in unison.

            She sighed and wondered which destination Toby’s team had picked. “Seriously? The desert?”

            “Swamps sound disgusting,” Lily offered. “Besides, then we won’t be that far from home!”

            “Lil, Death Valley is like six hours from home,” Adrian reminded her.

            “Whatever. It’s closer than we are now.”

            “So, food first?” Jesse asked.

            “Yep,” Adrian agreed. “Then we’ll head out.”

            “Wait, did anyone see any supplies in the trunk when we stuck our bags in there?” Will asked.

            A chorus of “no’s” met his question.

            “We’ll figure it out when we get there,” Adrian said. “If Chance said there’s supplies, then there should be supplies. If not, then we can buy whatever we need, right? I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”

TO BE CONTINUED . . .