Chapter 3 : A couple of close shaves...

John was talking animatedly over hot choclate...with his friends mainly...but he also got in a word with his mother who was busy serving out the choclate chip cookies which she baked fresh that morning!

"Mom...you remember that old book of stories which you used to read out to me as a kid. I was so surprised to see it today in the hall...did you keep it there?"

"Yes...something strange happened when i was tidying your room...which you should have done young man!" John gave her a sheepish grin "So, i was cleaning your room...and i heard someone speaking...i could have sworn it came from inside your cupboard. Its only then that i noticed this book on top of some old newspapers...i actually wanted to read it myself because i missed its stories too..."

"Awwwww...now isnt that sweet. Ok, you can have it for the night but i want it back ok. I want to show it to someone."

"Oh ho...would that be Lizzie by any chance?" Johns mom whispered and winked rather furtively making sure no one else noticed her...

"Mooooooooooomm....shut uuup!!" exclaimed John, his face turning very red!

Lizzie looked up from her hot choclate right then...with a questioning look on her face and flashed John a quick but naughty smile. She was one of the kids in the neighbourhood...Johns folks and Lizzies folks were very friendly with each other and used to go on picnics together when the kids were small. Lizzie had waist long blond hair and eyes of the bluest spring sky. She and John had been the best of buddies since young...but John had never ever shown her his red book. The relationship that Elena and John shared was something too special...and no one knew about it. But over the years, as they grew from kids to adolescents, things changed...they always change...and now John felt moved by Elena enough to show it to Lizzie...

"Anything wrong Mrs. Mitchell? Is John troubling you with something?" offered Lizzie with that naughty gleam in her eyes...

"Oh nothing that my son cant manage on his own! Thanks lizzie...more hot choclate dear?"

"Oh thanks Mrs.Mitchell. I am having enough trouble drinking one more drop of it...not to mention the cookies...you are a wizard in the kitchen! I ate sooo much!!"

"Haha...ok then...John here wants to show you something...why dont you show it to her right now?" said mom. John couldnt help but grind his teeth in frustration. His mom and Lizzie are very similar...both of them were very smart and very mischevious...no wonder he loved to pick up friendly arguements with both of them...but at the end of the day, he cared a lot about both of them.

"Mooooooooomm...not now. But...maybe...oh what the hell! Come Lizzie...its in the hall way! Wait...let me finish the hot choclate first!"

Just then...without anyone seeing her, Ellie slipped out of the kitchen...she did not even thank Mrs. Mitchell for the wonderful cookies and hot choclate. Just as John and Lizzie entered the hall, they heard a door slam. They did not bother about it too much...someone must have left...there are so many kids and their bed times were nearing...it happens all the time...

John sauntered over to the chair...
"Lizzie...what i want to show you is this book which i...HEEEYYYY, WHAT THA..."

"John...whats wrong?" asked Lizzie with genuine concern.

"Its gone...the little red book is gone...i put it back right here..."

"Oh...was it very expensive?"

"No...no...but it was very special...is very special...help me look for it Lizzie!"

And both of them turned the hall inside out...they looked everywhere..even under the carpet. But our little Elena was of course no more in the house...poor John...little did he know that Ellie was the culprit...he did not even suspect any of his friends...he started blaming himself for the loss of Elena.

"On no...i should have been more careful...i should have been. I could have sworn it was here...but..i...sigh..."

Lizzie came close to John and put a reassuring and soft hand over his shoulders...
"John...it was only a book...but if it means so much to you, i can help you look for it."

"Oh Lizzie...you will do that for me?"

"Yes John...of course."

They hugged each other in the hallway...they thought they were alone...but a shifting pair of small black eyes were observing them through the window...Ellie. The evil girl did not leave immediately...she wanted to see John saddened by the loss of Elena...but now she was even more angry with herself...for letting Lizzie get this close to John...

But none of that anger seemed to be in her eyes anymore...we are back at Ellies Scratchpad now. She was looking like a mad scientist on the verge of perfecting the formula for the perfect roach killer! She studied Elena more closely now...not her soothing words...but her deep red cover and the soft yellow pages.

"I think this would do nicely...but...you are a little small...hmmm..."

She momentarily let her eyes wander for a while and a fashion magazine caught her eyes...it had a nice red cover as well. And she dropped Elena on the floor...and kicked her away to another corner of the room. The magazine was pleading silently not to let this happen..but...too late. In came the thick fingers and out came the scissors snipping away like crazy...and soon, we had a very awkward Cinderlla with a very noisy crown and frock and a the sorry sight of a couple of magazines gasping for breath.

Ellie and her friend who apparently came over to have a sleepover were tired with their play and promptly went to sleep right there on the floor...they were snoring very loudly...so loudly that all the books cringed each time a particulary garbled snort escaped them!

Bud spoke up after a while... "Phew...Elena...now wasnt that a close call! You are a very lucky one you know...very very lucky."

"Oh...i beleive you. I thought i was a goner..."

"We all did...hmmm...anyway, no time to waste. This is what you have to do...you should talk to Sally...and.."

"Who is Sally...oops...sorry for interrupting. Please go on.."

"Its ok. Sally is Ellies Journal. She knows all of Ellies personal thoughts and schemes. So, i suggest you try getting Johns address out of her if Ellie had ever wrote it down. Or atleast you might get some clues to his homes whereabouts. And...she is right beside you."