Croonford Girls Detective Case 8: Dreams come true

Author's note: This story was inspired by the X-Files Season 7 Episode 10 'Sein und Zeit' and Episode 11 'Closure' but not a copycat of either.

Remember there's no COVID-19 here.

Thompson’s residence
March 2021
Early morning

"Dream...Dream...Dream," Jenn heard the lyrics of 'All I Have to Do Is Dream' by the Everly Brothers, one of her mother's favourite band in her head. Just as she was about to hum the full verse, her mind suddenly switched to a dark room. She immediately heard cries of distress, definitely from girls. It's just a dream or light nightmare, she tried to inform herself. Still, the dream stayed in her head and the cries continued. Jenn opened then blinked her eyes. She headed to wash her face and mumbled out loud it was just a weird dream. Just as she headed back under her duvet, she heard the same cries again before there was quiet.

Croonford School
The next morning before the start of class

"Wow, it's been months since our last case," Chelle commented to Lin as they entered the school gates.

"For sure, but life takes priority," her classmate and fellow detective Lin replied as she ensured her hair was tied and pinned to school regulations.

"Yup, but have you any further success with tracing that WhatsApp message from that Cat girl?"

"None. I'm a good scientist but not one able to easily to crack such messages and I'm not sure it's something I'll pass on to DI Nikki yet," Lin answered. "It's another mystery."

"Speaking of mystery, I had a dream, well a weird dream, nearly a nightmare. It was the early morning when suddenly my mind turned black and I heard the sound of young girls crying. I couldn't easily shake the dream off but it was so realistic. After splashing water on my face, I thought I would have a better sleep but then heard the cries in my head for a few minutes again," Chelle told her.

"It's probably just another dream after all you've gone through," Lin assured her.

"Did you just mention a dream with girls crying in distress?" Jenn ran up to the duo, her hands holding her school skirt, less the furious wind blow it up. As Chelle summarised her dream again, Jenn exclaimed that she had the same dream.

"My friends dreaming the same dream," Lin rubbed her chin. "Could be..." Before she could complete her sentence, the bell rang and the girls moved to their respective classes.

During break time, Jenn ignored her half a baguette and chicken and scanned the web browser on her phone for any missing or kidnapped girls. No hits. She tried searching for 'missing young boys', 'kidnapped young boys' then replaced 'boys' with 'children'. Still no...

"Searching for info related to the dream?" Chelle interrupted carrying a tuna and mayonnaise on a flat bread. "I also found nothing searching on all news sites."

"One part of me say forget it, the other part says something is up," Jenn answered with a half gloomy face.

"I don't know about two friends having the same dream, but I know what I'll dream of," Lin replied, stating her science-related wishes. Lin was eating a bowl of instant noodles, not like the typical British pot noodles. She was grateful the school had taken her suggestions to bring in proper international food and snacks.

"My dream would be to have a rich boyfriend then husband who would buy me sexy clothes, maybe lingerie," Heather, Chelle and Lin's classmate remarked. She was getting prettier and sluttier in her level mates’ view.

"Dream on," Lin replied and the students finished up their food then headed to their next classes. Jenn's was further away and had to walk through an open-air corridor. Jenn was so engrossed with searching news on her phone when the wind blew. She luckily caught her skirt before it blew up.

"Ooh, the wind would have exposed your cute knickers with diamonds all over," a voice called. Jenn spun around and saw a familiar face.

"You! Haven't you learnt you lesson, or do you want to face detention or suspension?" The bully from the Jon-Beatles gang sneered at her before he scuttled away, singing off tune Madonna's 'Hanky Panky', changing the word 'candy' to the American term 'panties'. Jenn held her skirt against her 60 denier tights and groaned, wondering why this school wouldn't let girls wear trousers during the cold months.

Jenn and Chelle both spent their free time searching for news again but nothing like what they dreamt of appeared. Their separate searches continued after school, after they finished their homework. Still nothing appeared.

That night in bed, Jenn lay back down with her eyes wide open. Please dream, don't appear again; give me a good night's sleep. As Jenn pulled up her duvet, her mind turned black again. No please, not again but Jenn heard cries, this time distinct muffled cries, muffled most definitely from a gag. Jenn got out of bed again but the cries continued, this distantly. Even after a through washing of her face and brushing her teeth, the cries remained. She returned to bed and talked out loud, pleading for the voices to cease and they did after half an hour.

Before the start of school, Chelle rushed up to Jenn and they both exclaimed they had the same dream, well maybe partly a nightmare, again. "So, do we have a case?" Jenn asked.

"We have a case, but it's probably the weirdest one so far," Chelle answered.

"Maybe you two are getting the Big Friendly Giant dreams," Harriet or Hattie, another of Chelle's classmates remarked, overhearing their conversation.

Jenn paused, then answered. "Haha, well the BFG blew happy dreams into children's minds, not what we dreamt of."

The detective trio meet again during their break time but Lin, the scientist couldn't provide any scientific reason. "Let's meet at our usual place this Friday to further discuss," she suggested.

Girl Detectives’ meeting place
Friday afternoon

"...Alright Nikki, sorry for the trouble...yes, ok, you have a good weekend as well bye." Chelle hung up her phone. "Nope, DI Nikki Heath says there's no missing or kidnapped children across the last few weeks," Chelle informed her friends. They improved their meeting place, unofficially known as the HQ. There was added furniture, a better working heater and hot water boiler and with some help from their 'landlord' Mr Morden, plus Lin's expertise, they managed to tap into Morden's Wi-Fi connection, promising to log out to save bills. This was all possible after the girls cleaned up his yard and part of his house.

"That's still not a start," Jenn said, bending her jeans-covered right leg over her left knee. She as usual was the only Wi-Fi one in jeans; Chelle was in a dark blue jumper, jeans skirt and black 40 denier tights. Lin was in her scientist coat but that cover a shorter pleated skirt, a slightly thinner jumper and sequenced purple 40 denier tights. Jenn was amazing how the Malaysian-Hongkonger could work in her lab in such attire.

"Lin? Lin?" Both called and the tallest girl finally came over. "Well, I'm the scientist but I did some quick non-scientific 'research'. It is possibly, but rarely, for two people to have the same dream together. This happens if they are well, attached," Chelle and Jenn looked each other and laughed. "Or if you are emotionally close," she added and showed them several links on her phone.

"This one says 'Very little scientific study has been dedicated to "mutual dreaming," for several reasons'," Chelle pointed.

"But scrolling down, it says 'our brains are essentially out on recess at night... they have the opportunity to make loose connections, to sort through the more difficult emotions we may be experiencing. It's an explanation as to why we have anxiety dreams and nightmares', Jenn added.

"That doesn't explain our similar dream," both girls chimed together.

"This link may be better, "Lin brought up a new tab on her phone. "This section states, 'the way in which the two people typically discover that they shared a dream is that one person begins sharing the dream without knowing that the other person had the same one until the other person jumps in and finishes it,' "Lin read out loud. However, reading the whole article, both Chelle and Jenn noted there was no conclusive reason for shared dreams.

"Really dead end," Chelle shook her head.

"Well for now. Maybe you two should install this in your bed rooms," Lin handed over two devices that looked like microchips. "They detect the range of gases in the surroundings," She explained.

"You think someone is pumping gases into our bedrooms?!" Chelle exclaimed.

"Don't know but could be. Anyway, I want to test them out before I show it at the science club meeting," Lin remarked. The girls had nothing further so again split up.

As Chelle walked back, she suddenly remembered something and called Jenn to follow her back to her home. Curious, the shorter girl followed and Chelle logged into her Skype account.

"Hi Aunt Marie, how's things going? How's Stacey?" Chelle asked as Jenn saw a black-hair woman with an ample cleavage covered with a black dress. "This is my friend Jennifer." Turning to Jenn, she explained her aunt was a trained psychic

"Psychic?!" Jenn exclaimed as Chelle explained what happened so far.

"Ah, no wonder you called. What you hear are the voices of 'walk-ins'," Marie answered with both teenagers raising their eyebrows. "These are souls from bodies transported from bodies by a spiritual intervention to a better place due to trauma."

"You mean the voices we hear or dream of, are children killed or dying?" Chelle queried.

"Possibly, or they would be almost witnessing death happening." Chelle further asked how they would know what the girls or children would look like or where the darkened room would be.

"Ah that's the cinch. I have to head over, be close to you two when you are experiencing the dream."

Jenn motioned to Chelle and the latter thanked her aunt and said they'll follow up. "I hope this doesn't sound insulting, but is she really your aunt or some crazy magician?"

"Yes, she's my aunt on my mother's side but disown much by my parents and my wider family. Yes, she does sound crazy but she is a psychic and has helped various police forces across the UK and even Europe to find missing people or solve unexplained events."

"Oh," was Jenn's first reply. "Can I think more about it? Have a good weekend." As Jenn turned the corner to the road leading towards her home, she heard one of the voices she heard in her dream. This lasted seconds, next came a cold chill surrounding her although the air was still. When that ended, Jenn saw the figure '11' formed from the leaves in front of her before suddenly the wind blew it away.

95? Jenn wondered as she stared again at the pile of leaves, shook her head then headed back home. After completing her leftover homework, she wondered what the too numbers would be. Googling that number would produce nearly millions of results. Jenn continued to ponder over the number and whether it was just a figment of her imagination. 11, 11...Suddenly she noticed the year on her phone's calendar app. 2011, would 11 mean 2011. She googled 'missing children, 2011'. She didn't get a hit and changed it to girls. She didn't find girls but there was a news report of a father locked up in a Category C prison for possible murder of his missing daughter the same year. The new article was locked and only could be library accessed. Jen bluffed her parents that she needed to find books for school and headed to the town library.

"You'll need more than a school or regular subscription to view this dated news article," the librarian told her. Jenn didn't have enough money for a premium subscription so pleaded for access and finally was allowed a temporary access card. Jenn got to see the newspaper article on microfilm. She read the article, knew she couldn't print out or copy the microfilm, but secretly took pictures when the librarian wasn't looking.

That night, both Chelle and Jenn left the special microchip Lin invented by their bedsides. This time the dream did not materialise but both hear the muffled cries for a short while in the early hours of the morning. On Sunday, they girls congregated again at their HQ.

"Hmm, no clear sign of any unusual gases," Lin announced the finds from the microchip-like devices. "Unless you count the traces of pollution."

"Haha," Chelle laughed. Jenn half-laughed then recounted what occurred yesterday.

The other two girls listened with intense interested. "Leaves turning into a number?!" Chelle exclaimed.

"And the number 11 lead to this news article?" Lin continued. The trio viewed the article.

"Hmm, seems like the daughter disappeared the year he was convicted of her murder," Lin read.

"But the case was very flimsy. No murder weapon found. No reason to kill his only child," Jenn pointed out the next paragraph of the blurry photo she took.

"2011, that would make the daughter ten years old," Chelle noted. "Sounds about the right age for the cries we two have been hearing."

"But that's just one girl," Jenn argued. "We've been hearing many gagged cries. And where do we go - how do we interview this imprisoned man?"

It was another roadblock. Chelle and Jenn agreed to keep the gas-detecting devices in their bedroom. The girls were busied across the week with their school work and individual club activities- Chelle with her writing and media club, Lin with her science club and Jenn with her debating club.

Next Friday afternoon

Chelle was back chatting with her psychic Aunt, updating her aunt on the events. Both she and Jenn continued to experience the same dream. "I really think I should head over," her aunt remarked. "No, I'm not planning to stay at your place. There's a Bed and Breakfast, B&B, almost opposite your house, right?" Her aunt outlined her plans.

That night, Chelle agreed to stay calm and stay in bed whatever she experienced in her dream. Across the street in a small B&B, her aunt was standing, facing Chelle's home, eyes closed. Hours passed, and the dream materialised again, with the muffled cries more distinct than ever. The dream lasted for at least three hours, the cries repeating themselves then suddenly faded away.

The following morning, over brunch at nearby cafe, Chelle immediately asked what her aunt discovered. "There was light," Aunt Marie answered, "then darkness."

"That's so vague. Oh, hey Jenn," her friend sat down and ordered her dish. "So, this is your magical aunt," Jenn remarked. Marie ignored the girl and handed her niece a pen and paper. "Write down what you last remembered last night," she told Chelle.

"But I just said it was the dream," Chelle protested but her Aunt was persistent and told Jenn to say nothing. Chelle closed her eyes and held the pen over the paper.

Within a minute, a word 'BARKDALE' appeared on the paper.

"Did I...?!" Michelle exclaimed, not believe she wrote that word. Jenn checked up the name on her phone's browser. "Lots of abandoned house, leads to HM Barksdale Prison, where than father, Mr. Burton was incarcerated. "We should head there," Marie added.

"Wait, wait, 'we'? You sure you aren't going to lead us to some fairy tale land?" Jenn asked.

"I sense your scepticism, but you saw what your friend wrote. Psychics aren't magicians," she stressed on the last line. "Michelle?"

"I'll...follow once we're done with food," She answered as Jenn was still eating her poached egg and mushroom salad. "Catch you at the train station."

"You really sure she's not leading you on some wild goose chase?" Jenn asked after shoving more salad in her mouth.

"It can sound crazy, but this is progress. I mean how do you follow once explain the sudden cold and the number 11 which brought you, no us, to this point," Chelle argued back.

"I'll...I'll look more into Mr. Burton's case," Jenn decided that was easier to rationalise. She wasn't purely grounded in science like Lin, but definitely not wanting hocus-pocus stuff.

Barksdale
West of Croonford

"This is the area I wrote down?!" Michelle exclaimed, examining the dilapidated area.

"One of these abandoned houses used to belong to Mr. Burton and his daughter," her aunt replied, eyes closed.

"Which one?"

"I can't tell," came the reply.

"We came all the hocus way here and 'you can't tell?'" Chelle was beginning to think Jenn was correct.

"Walk this way, " her aunt suggested. Soon enough the distinctive image of a prison came into view.

"Must be easy for them to transport him from home to court and prison," Chelle tried to joke. "But how do I enter? I'm not related to this Burton guy," she protested.

"Leave that to me. Go find a pub or cafe and I'll bring back news," her aunt informed her.

Jenn' home
The same time

"Mr Arthur Morden was watching TV then decided to check on his daughter. He was shocked that his daughter was missing from bed, checked around the house and the neighbourhood. He immediately called the police but his testimonies were varied and was placed under arrest. A search of the wider area found no evidence of his daughter, Rebecca. Morden was nevertheless charged for manslaughter..." the news report from YouTube read out loud.

That doesn't help me, Jenn thought and did more searching. She found an old website describing Arthur Morden's success in improving infrastructure in buildings in various towns and cities across the UK. He even set up a charity just before he was charged in court to aid lower-income children to enter university. Not exactly one who would murder children like his own daughter, she thought.

Back at a pub called The Duelling Arms, Marie told Chelle roughly what she learnt. "I bluffed that I was representing him," She started then told her niece the same info learnt from YouTube and the old website, then mentioned he keeps seeing a bright figure of Rebecca often in his jail cell. "She whispers something he can't make out, then disappears," she concluded.

"That's a walk-in?" Chelle asked.

"Yes, but..." Just then Chelle's phone beeped. "Got to head back before mum started worrying where I am and grounds me. Thanks so far Aunt." Chelle was lucky and was able to please her mum with finished homework and a sparkling-clean room.

With chores finished, she initiated a three-way Skype call with Lin and Jenn.

"Yeah, that's exactly what learnt from my Googling," Jenn remarked. Chelle next told then how her aunt bluffed her way into the prison and talk to Arthur Burton. The two other teen detectives listened until Chelle mentioned the part of the apparition of the young daughter.

"Really, your aunt heard that from him or she making the story up?" This came from Lin.

"Well, despite how it sounds, I trust what she says," Chelle defended her relative.

"Ok, ok, just leave the gas-detecting devices in your rooms and I'll think of something else," Lin, the I-believe-in-science girl shook her head.

Chelle and Jenn continued to experience the dream and the gagged cries of distress. On Tuesday night, Marie Winters woke up startled as if lightning struck her.

In Croonford, Lin was about to think of science club topics and new gadgets for the tam when her mind turned cloudy and suddenly saw the darkened room her fellow detectives saw. She heard the same muffled cries, then a voice and a fiery light. As with Chelle and Jenn, she got up to wash her face but the cries resumed the suddenly subsided away.

"Oh my gosh, you also experience the same dream!" Jenn exclaimed the next day before the start of school. Lin pointed out the differences in what she dreamt and Jenn called Chelle for her views.

"Chelle? Chelle?" Only On the third call did Michelle Summers answers. "Oh, I heard all. My aunt says we all should meet at Barksdale, is this afternoon fine?"

Lin, the sceptic, still nodded. Jenn, now wavering to believe the mystic themes, nodded but on condition that it was a quick trip, less her parents especially her dad, fume their anger. Immediately after school, the three of them boarded a train bound for Barksdale. Marie was already there and wordlessly beckoned the detectives a block and half towards a really broken-down house. Marie was in slacks so could easily climb over the vine-covered wooden fence. The teens, still in their school uniforms, found it much harder, and Jenn nearly ripped her skirt and laddered her tights.

"This way," Marie finally spoke. They passed through a broken archway and she led them into a small equally living room. "We need to hold each other's hands," Marie instructed. "I need to summon they're - the walk-ins - presence. Be very quiet and still; that's how it works best. There will be a chill and your ears may pop but that would indicate their presence. Oh, and close your eyes; they will be close to you and ready."

"How?" Lin asked.

"Ssh," Came the answer. The girls slowly grasped each other hands and Chelle held her aunt's.  Two minutes passed, then there a bright yet eerie glow all around. Young girls, around the ages of six to around ten, in night clothes appeared. Some of them were definitely from the 1990s, others were from more recent eras. Suddenly one figure held out her hand to Jenn's free hand. Jenn unconsciously follows the girl or was it a woman, her other hand no longer holding Chelle's and Chelle's hand remained bent in the air.

The light suddenly vanished. "What...? Jenn?" Chelle noticed her friend's disappearance.

"In here," her voice called and the group headed into what definitely was a bedroom.

"A figure - from whatever that was..."

"A séance," Marie finally explained.

"A girl or woman, brought me here and look," Jenn held up what definite was diary.

Girl Detectives’ meeting place
Later that Afternoon

After telling their parents they were completing their schoolwork in the local library –

they technically did complete theirs in their HQ, they opened the diary to read.

Life as a single daughter can fun but boring at times, and the bore comes when dad has to work late. I want a disappearance new life, with new clothes, more than just money I'm given. I want a new life. The internet as a new place to find this life but there are too many results. There is this nice man I met several days ago, he promises items dad can't give me, but he'll only give them if I meet him nearby. Ok, ok, I'll meet him one day.

There were many more ages but they repeated the story. "She met a man online and disappeared," Lin noted. "That's so cliché. There's so much area around that house to start. Where..." Just then Chelle phone beeped twice. "Rats, Louisa's calling an impromptu media club meeting," Chelle groaned. Lin also noted that she had to think of themes for science club. The meeting was adjourned and Jenn still re-read the impromptu child's diary then closed up the HQ and headed back home. She coincidentally received WhatsApp messages from her parents -- her mother was out with her friends and her father was working late. 'Don't stay out too late,' Was the message from the latter. Typical him, she thought as she changed out of her hated school uniform into comfortable jumper and jeans.

Staring at her laptop for half a minute, Jenn decided to head back to Barksdale before it was too dark. She arrived back at the house once occupied by Burton and his daughter and was about to re-enter the place when she remembered what was written in the diary. Where should I begin?

Suddenly the air around her turned rapidly cold then the light turned very bright. A young girl in a dress that could definitely brought from comfortable branded retailers like Marks and Spencer. The girl reached out and held Jenn's hand. There was another rush of wind and the light and girl was no longer present. Jenn now found herself in an open field.

What on earth? She immediately wondered what transpired and where she was. I better find my way back before I can't and my parents get worried. As Jenn stepped forward, her right foot caught something metallic, definitely not stone. Out of curiosity, Jenn bent down and brushed aside the grass and mud. It definite was some metal hatch, secured with a rather new lock. Lock, how to... Jenn extracted the laser pen Lin invented three cases back and after several minutes, the lock broke.

Before she lifted the hatch, Jenn sent a WhatsApp message to her friends updating them of her possible whereabouts and findings.

The hatch led to a very narrow tube but there were ladder rungs.  It was really pitch black, so she switched on the pen torchlight Lin made. Thank goodness this torchlight could be adjusted to maximum brightness, Jenn thought. There was another tube and as she made her way to end, she found herself in a large room with three separate doors on one side. Two of the doors needed keys to unlock them, while the third had padlocks. Jenn tried the laser pen against the padlocks and although it took much longer that the lock for the hatch, the padlocks came free, and she pull the various bars.

Inside was an equally dark room and Jenn immediately smelt the distinct odour of urine. She also her distinct muffled cries and realised this was the room she witnessed in the dreams the past few weeks! Swinging her mini torchlight around, she discovered the source of the cries - three young girls' wrists were secured by rope around bars across the wall, arms stretched out. Their ankles were likewise bound and each girl was tightly cleave gagged. Jenn immediately darted towards the nearest girl.

She quickly undid the thick cloth around her jaw and the girl continued sobbing.

"Sssh, Sssh, it's alright," Jenn softly consoled her as she tried to work on the ropes binding her wrists.

"Are...you the police? Firewoman?" The young girl asked.

"Uh no, but I'll get you out." That was easier said than done; the knots around her wrists were too tight. Jenn decided to try the laser pen but when she reached into her pockets the girl cried out loud.

"Well, who's this nosey lass here?" A larger light shone on both Jenn's and the girl.

"Trying to be a heroine eh? Well, let's get you comfortable with these children." Jenn could only think that her friends received her messages where she was as the figure grabbed her.

As text or WhatsApp messages go, they may fail or delay before received by the receiver. As such, Chelle and Lin only received Jenn's message late. The minute Chelle received it, she asked to be excused from her club meeting. Lin was still doubtful but agreed they had to head back to Barksdale.

In the hidden underground room, Jenn was now similarly bound and gagged opposite the girl she was trying to untie, who was now re-gagged. "That will hold you," The thug - definitely a thug to Jenn - stated as he turned and undid one of the other girl's wrists bonds. "Levmm hemr almone!" Jenn screamed but received a slap on her cheek. "Quiet!" Was the only command as the thug carried the muffled crying girl over his shoulder and left the room. Jenn immediately tried to undo her rope bounds but they were just too strong. After several pushes of her tongue and her jaw, she managed to dislodge the cleave gag. Quickly, she instructed the other girls how to dislodge their gags and the girl opposite her managed to do so after several attempts.

They both introduced themselves and the girl, Millie, remarked, "That's Anna, she hasn't said much since we were brought here," Jenn heard the muffled cries from the other end. She again instructed Anna how to dislodge her cleave gag but there were only muffled cries. Millie said that was how Anna has been then launched into how she got here. As she told her story, Jenn realised it matched what she learnt from Rebecca's diary. Jenn was about to ask Millie about Rebecca until the door slammed open again. "Who gave you permission to speak?" The thug growled. Jenn heard Millie cry out but the cries were muffled and she assumed the girl's gag was

replaced.

Jenn shouted but felt her wrist tighten and almost cut and quickly deduced he secured her more with zip ties. The same came with her ankles -- he replaced the ropes with those strong cable ties. That was by far the end and he yanked off one of her shoes and socks. That sock was immediately jammed into Jenn's mouth and with ripping sounds, it was secured with tape.

Jenn further screamed through the sock gag as the thug produced a large pair of industrial-like scissors and started cutting off her jeans. The hug yanked off the pieces of her jeans and soon enough her white cotton full brief knickers was exposed. She kicked her bound legs wildly, expecting him to snip off her lower underwear. Instead, he cut away her jumper, then her long-sleeved shirt, exposing her matching white bra. "This is what I do to nosey teens," she heard then the door slammed shut.

"Where is she?" Chelle asked out loud as she and Lin stood in front of the Burton house.

"Her last message said the ghost..." Lin read out

"Walk-in," came the correction.

"Ok, the walk-in, brought her to a field and she found a metal hatch," Lin continued. "Lots of fields around here, lucky I brought along Eagle," She unwrapped the UAV which she used during the Redmond case.

Jenn was now more helpless than she ever was before. Ropes and a cleave gag were one thing, zip or cable ties and her dirty sock stuffed in her mouth sealed with tape was another. What was worse was she was humiliated; her jeans were cut off and now her legs felt the chill of the floor. There also goes all the gadgets I have: the pen torchlight, the laser pen and worse, the ID device that the girls could find me -- I sew it the waistline of my jeans. How can they find me now?

"Eagle airborne, Moving around," Lin announced but inwardly thinking it would take hours for them to scan the nearby fields. The minutes ticked by but there was no sight of their friend. Suddenly, Chelle called, "West! Scan west!" Lin raised her eyebrows but did so, hoping that the UAV she now upgraded wouldn't run of battery. Suddenly, the camera spotted an object and she zoomed on it.

"That's...that's part of Jenn's favourite jeans!" Chelle exclaimed.

"And those are the gadgets!" Lin pointed. "Call DI Nikki and the police! She's definitely in trouble!"

Jenn kept struggling against her bonds but the cable ties only cut into her wrists and ankles. She focused on her gag, trying to use her tongue to push it out but failed to after many attempts. Across the room, Millie was now frightened and did not bother to try to dislodge her gag. Just as Jenn thought she had some success with pushing out her sock, the door slammed open. "Your turn," The thug call out and the shocked Anna gave no resistance as she was lifted up. Both Jenn and Millie cried in protest through their gags but just as Jenn assumed the moving thug was out, there was an explosion above. There was a flurry of voices, and there was as shout "Police! Put the child back on the floor! Police!" There was a sound of a sting and with lights shining, Jenn saw the figure fall on the ground but another figure immediate manage to catch Anna before she hit the ground.

"You're alright now, you'll be fine," the familiar voice of DI Nikki Heath consoled the sobbing girl. "Well don't just stand there!" She called to the staring constables. "Get the other girls free and wrap that one with a towel!"

Girl Detectives’ meeting place
Saturday Morning

"With the aid of the teen detectives from Croonford, the regional police managed to catch a murderer before he burnt more young girls in an underground fire. Edward Schonk lured young girls under the pretence of presenting expensive gifts and slowly holding them captive. Each of the young intrepid teenagers were award commendation prizes and..."

"Well, I learnt my lesson. Never go adventuring alone by myself," Jenn remarked still rubbing cream over her wrists which had small rope burns and cuts from the bindings.

"Hey, you did great and we all got £200 in rewards," Lin replied, muting the video on her phone. "You're still lucky the police had acoustic detection and thermal detection devices to find you and those poor kids."

"Amelia Adams and Anna Grenwich," Jenn stated their names. "There were more who sadly were killed along with Rebecca Burton. At least her father has now has been released from prison."

"Yeah. But still doesn't explain the dream we had. Or the leaves forming that number you witnessed," Chelle added. "Or that woman and girl you witnessed from the séance and various cold sightings."

"You better send thanks to your aunt for her help," Jenn added. "This sounds like a case from the X-Files?" The other girls nodded then Chelle excused herself to answer the call of nature. When she returned, she spotted a box outside their HQ.

Calling her friends, they all looked then Lin told them to stand back.

Nice work girls. But was it me? The Cat The note popped out from the box.

The End.

Michelle, Lin Ling and Jennifer will return in 'I'm only Sleeping.'

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