Characters:
Narrator
Pandy
Bobby
Mr. Neilson
Chuck Kane
Jason
Cop

Narrator: After a quick stop at the Darling Family Residence to drop off Pandora Darling’s comatose and cuffed former best friend, Tabitha Wentworth, Pandora and Bobby drove Pandora’s mother’s blue Pontiac off of a cliff. The cliff wasn’t so much a cliff as a ridge, and Pandora and Bobby had, of course, gotten out before it went over. They hurried back to the Darling house, and Pandora put on her best hysterics act for the law enforcement officer on the other end of the line.

Cop: We’ll send someone over right away to check it out, ma’am.

Pandy: Send someone over? Why? I gave you the information! Oh, my mother’s going to KILL me! I cant believe I left the door unlocked, I was only running in the house for a-

Cop: New policy, ma’am. You’re at the Darling residence, correct? We’ll have someone out there right away. (*hang up click*)

Pandy: New policy? (yell) Bobby! We’re going to have company!

Bobby: What?

Pandy: Apparently the cops have a new policy under which they have to send someone over to investigate the scene of the crime. How is she?

Narrator: Tabby was laid out on Pandora’s bed, still cuffed and gagged, and starting to twitch.

Bobby: She’s been mumbling some stuff, but I can’t understand anything with the gag on. Would it be ok if-

Pandy: Absolutely not. The cops are on their way over, and we don’t need her to come to and start screaming.

Bobby: But I didn’t scream and thrash when you brought ME around.

Pandy: You had been under the influence for less amount of time, AND you had different code words.

Bobby: Yeah…right. What was that about? Code words? But wait, you said yours didn’t work… Pandora, what are you not telling me?!

Cop: All right everyone, hands where I can see them!

Bobby: What the-?

Narrator: Six police officers burst into Pandora’s bedroom.

Cop: Pandora Darling?

Pandy: Yes?

Cop: You reported a stolen car?

Pandy: Yes.

Cop: Perfect. Cuff her boys.

Pandy/Bobby: WHAT?

Copy: Him too.

Bobby: Hey!

Pandora: I demand to know what’s going on!

Cop: Who’s in the bed?

Pandy: Why are you doing this?

Cop: Who. Is in. The bed?

Narrator: The man pointed his handgun right at Tabitha’s unconscious head.

Pandy: She’s…my cousin…Tabitha. (sweet dumb blonde) She was visiting, and she fell and hit her head while I was calling you. We couldn’t call the ambulance because you were coming over, and I thought it might be a bit suspicious if you were to show up and we weren’t here anymore.

Bobby: I carried her up here to wait. But then she started screaming and thrashing in her sleep, and we were worried that she’d attract the neighbors, or even bite her tongue out! So we gagged her.

Cop: Right. And where did you get such nice handcuffs?

Pandy: Oh…well…. you know….

Cop: What- … Oh. Right. Um. Jackson, call an ambulance. Come on you two. We’re going for a drive.

Pandy: But…MY car was stolen! Why am I being arrested for being the VICTIM?

Bobby: You didn’t even read us our rights!

Cop: Way to keep up with the time, kid. Mr. Bra- the Mayor just signed a series of new statutes, giving us, the police force, the freedom we need to get our jobs done. No more red tape, no more silly warrant requirements, and most importantly-

Bobby: Wait. Just wait. You stuttered.

Pandy: Bobby, I know you might think you have some experience, but correcting a police officer’s speech is NOT the thing to do in a situation like this.

Bobby: You said “Mr. Bra- the Mayor”. Our mayor is Mr. Wilson. Come to think of it, no one in the entire Carousel government has a name that begins with a B.

Pandy: How do you even know that? OH MY GOD!

Bobby: It makes sense though. Mayor Wilson had that stroke while you were… uh… recovering. Two days later, all these police reforms are issued, starting with the call for private officers. Government members rarely issue new statutes while hooked up to an I.V.

Pandora: “Don't ever believe you don't deserve a police force just because you can't afford to train one.” Jason Brandt?!? So much for working for the little guy.

Cop: Marshal, call in and have the psych ward on standby.

Bobby: Oh, so Jason Brandt isn’t signing documents in the mayor’s name?

Cop: Look. Kid. An insanity plea really isn’t going to get you anywhere. So why don’t you just-

Pandy: MOM!?

Narrator: All six police officers looked in the direction that Pandora had yelled. The second that their heads turned, Pandora and Bobby shook off their handcuffs, dropped their lock-picks, and ran. The leapt hedges and ducked behind fences, lucky that there were enough of them to deter and of the well fed officers’ bullets.

Bobby: What about Tabby?

Pandy: We can’t do anything for her now. She’ll be safe in the hospital.

Bobby: Where are we going?

Pandy: There.

Narrator: Charles Kane met Pandora and Bobby at the door of the Carousel Academy School of Karate. He ushered them into a back room, where he apparently lived, and locked the front door.

Pandora: (panting) We have a problem.

Chuck: What on earth happened to you two?

Bobby: The police are after us.

Chuck: Again or still?

Pandy: Jason Brandt has been running things from Mayor Wilson’s seat.

Chuck: Oh no.

Bobby: I know. I can’t believe this. He was always so diligent in promoting equality and helping out the underdog. Now he’s got lackeys-

Chuck: You guys have bigger problems than that right now.

Pandy: Like what?

Chuck: Check out the security screen. That’s how I saw you coming. It looks like we’ve got more company.

Pandy: Oh, no. It’s Mr-

Chuck: Neilsen. (pure loathing) Quick. This way.

Narrator: With the sound of pounding fists in the background, Chuck Kane led Pandora and Bobby over to a small closet. Pushing the clothes aside, he revealed a small safe. He opened it and punched in yet another code on a digital keypad. The left wall of the closet slid back, revealing a tunnel. The three ran in and disappeared right as bullets shattered the front windows of the dojo.

Pandora: Chuck, where are we going?

Chuck: Ask questions later. Right now, we need you to live.

Pandora: Right.

Chuck: Did you ever find your father’s body?

Pandora: What?

Chuck: Your father. Did you find him?

Pandora: I thought we weren’t asking questions now.

Chuck: Did you open the urn?

Pandora: Yes. Why?

Chuck: Run faster.

Narrator: The tunnel wound down under the city, lit here and there by small yellowed light bulbs. At one point, it seemed to join with the sewer system, but Bobby couldn’t be sure. What he could be sure of was that Chuck was slowly falling back in the chase, until he was level with Bobby.

Chuck: Bobby, you need to promise me, keep her alive. At all cost, you MUST keep Pandora alive.

Bobby: But what about you? Aren’t you going to help us?

Chuck: Just a precaution, Bob. Should anything happen to me, you need to keep her alive. Neilson wants Pandora dead and that CAN’T happen. This tunnel comes out under the school. Phil has a hideout down there, one of the Janitors.

Pandy: Janitor?

Chuck: Precautions had to be taken to make sure that your school remained a safe environment! Anyway, give him this disc. If all goes well, we’ll be on a plane to get the two of you some plastic surgery and new social security numbers within the hour.

Bobby: New identities! But, what about my mom? I am so dead, she must be so worried by now.

Pandy: Bobby, please wait until we’re on the plane to freak out, otherwise you really will be-*scream*

Narrator: Chuck leapt at Pandora from behind, knocking her forward, out of the way of a small explosion. He recovered, grabbed her by the shoulders, and shoved her along the tunnel toward an old wooden door.

Neilson: (far away) That’s right, Kane! Run!

Chuck: Through this door and to the left. Hurry.

Pandy: The lock’s rusted. Bobby, do you have any more lock-picks?

Bobby: No, but I have a hammer.

Pandy: What?

Bobby: I picked it up at Mr. Kane’s place, just in case we needed to fight or something. Think of it as a really big set of lock-picks. (hammer sound)

Neilson: (disdain) Nice try, Chuck.

Chuck: Give it up Neilson. You can’t have her.

Neilson: Oh really? Because last I heard, when the Big Man makes up his mind, it happens. The almighty one sent me to take her into custody. She’s to go straight to the top today. No more mucking around in the lower levels. She got away from me once, and it almost cost me my rank. I will not be demoted to a mere cleric because of you.

Pandy: So this is all some sort of Christian conspiracy?

Neilsen: ‘Christian Conspiracy’? Psh! Christians Absolving Sinful Kindnesses is just a hobby. My personal faith has NOTHING to do with my day job.

Chuck: Pandora. Run.

Bobby: But what about you?

Chuck: Bobby, I gave you a mission. Go.

Neilson: Why even bother, Chuck. You know I’ll win in the end. Tell me, Pandora, did you find your father?

Chuck: GO!

Narrator: Bobby, holding Pandora by the hand, tore down the tunnel.

Neilson: And I suppose you’re going to keep me from going after them?

Chuck: Why yes, Neilson. I am.

Neilson: And how will you do that? Karate?

Chuck: Not exactly.

Narrator: Chuck opened his jacket to reveal a rather impressive explosive device counting down on his chest. Pandora and Bobby heard shots fired far behind them, and felt the ground shake. Another ten minutes of running brought them to a dead end and another door which opened upon their approach.

Jason: Well, how about that? Long time no see, guys!

Bobby: What’s….going….on? OUCH! Oh….god….

Pandy: Bobby?

Jason: So Pandy… did you ever find your father?

Narrator: What IS going on? Is Chuck Kane dead? Is Mr. Neilson dead? Is Bobby soon to be dead? Why is everyone so interested in Pandora’s father? What is Jason planning? Will CASK win? Learn the answers to these final few questions in the spine-tingling series finale: Regeneration.