WEBVTT
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Hello, my Spookyes, I'm your narrator and host, Enrique Kuto,
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here to bring you this compilation of our latest mini
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series for those of you who can't stand to wait around.
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Now you can sit back and relax and listen to
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the story in its entirety as an audiobook. So get
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comfortable and make sure you're subscribed on your favorite podcasting
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app as we dive deep into this terrifying tale of vampires, multiverses,
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and so much more. Please enjoy. Portals by Rob Fields Prologue,
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December twenty second. Last year, Ariel Miron unlocked one of
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the French doors to the three story mansion and shoved
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it open hard. She was heaving and her eyes were
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streaming tears. Behind her were some of her immediate circle
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of friends who had just barely survived their encounter with
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Queen Arcadia. Ariel was both hurt and enraged at learning
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that her own mother, Adrian, had sold her to Queen
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Arcadia to use as her vessel before she was even born,
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in exchange for power and riches in the form of
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becoming the greatest computer programmer of all time. When Ariel
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was finally at a decent age, Adrian arranged with Isley
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Tinker to maneuver her daughter to his shop at Strickfield
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Town Center Mall. There, Ariel would get to sample a
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prototype video game console in the form of the Virtua.
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Playing its single game called Christmas Arcadia, she became entranced
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by the amazing graphics and Queen Arcadia herself. Ariel would
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come to be possessed by Queen Arcadia. From there, Arcadia
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would use Ariel as her vessel to attempt to merge
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her virtual realm with that of the mortal realm. It
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was four of Ariel's friends who believed in her enough
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to give her the will to purge Queen Arcadia from
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her body and defeat her. Prior to this, Queen Arcadia
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had explained the bargain Adrian had made with her. Now,
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Ariel was standing in the middle of her family's living room.
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She was known to utter blood curdling screams whenever things
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didn't go her way, but on this night, she screamed
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for her mother so loudly that the nearby windows cracked
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in many places. It hadn't taken Adrian long to emerge
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and see that her daughter was still alive and clearly
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no longer Queen Arcadia's vessel. The look Ariel saw in
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her mother's face confirmed that Adrian had never truly cared
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for her. In the slightest, Ariel pointed accusingly at her
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mother and shouted everything that Queen Arcadia had revealed about
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the bargain. Ariel's friends watched as she went off on
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her mother the way no daughter ever did, even little
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Madeline Donnerly Gold and felt fortunate that Ariel had only
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ever said that she hated her whenever she herself had
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gotten under Ariel's skin. I hate you, Ariel finished, in
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one final scream. Adrian folded her arms in front of
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her and rolled her eyes in annoyance. And what exactly
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do you intend to do about it? You've spoiled little brat,
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Ariel pointed right at her. You want me out of
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your life so badly? Consider it done, Adrian laughed scornfully. Hugh,
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you're going to leave here and never return. She unfolded
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her arms. And where exactly will you go? You're not
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old enough to get a job anywhere, especially one that
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would pay you a decent wage. You'll be cut off,
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so you'll have no money. In fact, I already canceled
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all your cards, she laughed coldly. Now, as of right now,
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you have absolutely nothing to your name, Ariel renaissance mirror,
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she smirked, you don't even have a family. Just then,
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Ariel's father Battle walked in and also looked annoyed with Ariel.
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I thought you finally got rid of that brat Adrian.
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Ariel's friends gasped at how horrible her parents were being
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to their own offspring. Then Battle looked at them, and
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you bring your welfare recipient friends into our home, Ariel.
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I agree with your mother. As of now, you have
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only the clothes on your back. Adrian chuckled again, that's right, Ariel,
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that's all I'm allowing you to have. You will claim
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absolutely nothing else in this house, since you didn't pay
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for any of it. She pointed at her daughter. You
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leave here with what you've got nothing. Ariel pointed at
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her parents, Oh you you, She bellowed one of her
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blood curdling screams before she started grabbing objects and throwing
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them at her parents. Ariel eventually knocked her father unconscious
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to finally restrain her, as she tackled Adrian herself and
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began hitting her. Ariel broke free of them and faced
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her mother again. You think you've seen the last of me,
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She shook her head quickly and pointed at her. Don't
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you dare think for one second this is over. You
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think I haven't learned the mirror ways. Oh, I've learned them.
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Believe me, I've learned them.
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Hugh.
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Just wait and see. It won't be now, It won't
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be tomorrow, it may not even be next month. But
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you're gonna wish you'd never made that bargain with Queen Arcadia.
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Ariel tightened her fists as she laughed scornfully at her mother.
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When she stopped, she said, I'm going to destroy you,
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everything you have and this rotten community. Mommy dearest, she chuckled.
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In fact, I already know how I'm going to gain
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my revenge on you, you, you vampire. And without another word,
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Ariel turned her back on her parents and walked right
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back out the front door. Her friends were quick to
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follow her out. Eventually, nothing would ever be the same
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in Strickfield again. Present day perspective, Ariel mirror. It's almost
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the end of January. Now a lot has happened since
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I came to live with Madeline, Donnerley and her family.
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For a brief time, Mouse was sharing her room with me.
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Then I came home from school one day to find
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her parents had turned an unused room into another bedroom
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just for me. To be honest, I never had any
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problem being in Mouse's room with her. Adrian Miron had
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truly washed her hands of me. In fact, she made
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it legal herself. Last week. She came by the house
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with her lawyer and presented a document for Mouse's parents
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to sign, giving them full custody of me. After consulting
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their own lawyers, Mouse's parents learned the paperwork was legit,
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no strings attached, and signed it. I'm officially part of
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the Donnerly household now. Now. Tiffany is usually a pretty punk,
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laid back, easygoing kind of woman. She had done plenty
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of work for Adrian in the past. Not only did
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Tiffany tell Adrian never to commission her again, but she
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was no longer welcome at the Donnerly house. She really
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ought to be ashamed of yourself, she told Adrian in
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her silky voice. Adrian left the lawyer's office and never
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looked back. She wouldn't even acknowledge me once. I can't
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believe Adrian really just signed me away to Mouse's parents
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without a second thought. Now I'm under Baxter and Tiffany's
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guardianship until I turn eighteen. They have the option to
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adopt me if they choose to, but I'm not going
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to push it. Believe me, I know I'm lucky just
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to have a place to live. To be honest, I've
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never felt more free and clear in my entire life.
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Right now, I'm at the Strickfield Town Center Mall with
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Mouse and Carter Cross. We're helping Tiffany set up the
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center court for an art exhibit tonight. Tiffany is such
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a talented artist. Her work is known all throughout this mall.
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If you look around at the many businesses that are
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still open here, there's plenty of her artwork on display
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that she did just for them. Recently, a store called
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Boble Topia opened locations in the mall and in downtown Village.
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They commissioned Tiffany to do some artwork for both stores.
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Campbell's Sporting Goods is also using the new logos she
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designed for the three learning institutions here in Strickfield for
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the official clothing they're selling there. The Strickfield Villagers for
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the Public School, the Strickfield Academy Sacraments, and the Strickfield
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University Serpents. Now that I think about it, Mouse told
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me this gallery here is being set up in Tiffany's honor.
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She also said her mom is being presented with the
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key to the village by Mayor Patrick Gunter himself. Perfect Ariel,
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Tiffany says, after I've finished setting up the last sculpture
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on a mantle. Then she turns to us, Yeah, you
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kids are done. Now that I'm also thinking about it,
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Carter's right about her looking just like Violet from Friday
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the Thirteenth, Part five. The resemblance is uncanny. You sure
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you didn't forget nothing, Mom Mouse asks in her mousey voice.
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We unpacked a lot of boxes and stuff, you know.
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Tiffany walks around and gives everything a once over. Then
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she looks at us again. No, Maddie, I believe we
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have everything. If you kids want to take off, I'm
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going to finish up here and go over my presentation
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for tonight. Besides, the weather feels like summer out there
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for the end of January. You better go out and
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enjoy it while you can. She ain't kidding about that,
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Carter tells Mouse and me, Maddie Aunt Tiffany, another mousey
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voice calls out. We all turned to see three Strickfield
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High cheerleaders heading our way. In fact, I know all
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of them. I easily see Mouse's twin cousin, Aileen, who's
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wearing a backpack. Even though they're a good five years apart,
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Mouse and Aileen look like, honest to goodness, twin sisters,
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same faces, same bodies, same mousey voices, same shoulder length
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and straight dark hair, and even the same glasses. Every
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time these two mice get together, they always have to
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hug each other. The other two cheerleaders are Bella Tabon,
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who's Aileen's best friend, and my cousin Felicia. I know
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Bella lives with Aileen at her house and helps pay
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the bills. Felicia sold her mansion inside the gated community
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and went to live out in the peacefulness of a
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real nice cabin in the countryside. Felicia is also the
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captain of the cheerleading squad at Strickfield High. We all
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exchange pleasantries. We thought we were just meeting in chance,
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but the six of us we're about to have a
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life changing adventure. We wouldn't soon forget perspective. Bella tabon.
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The cheerleading squad had a brutal practice today. For the record,
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Felicia is not the one being a slave driver. Miss Temple,
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our coach, had a meeting with us before the holiday break,
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and said we got a real shot at getting on
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ESPN for the cheerleading competition and that we should really
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push for it. After Miss Temple got a majority vote,
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we started training harder. Note that I was the only
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one who said no, mainly because I really hate being
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a cheerleader. I'm only doing it for AINI. Hey, guys,
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what's going on? I ask when I see Maddie, Carter
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and Ariel. As usual, Maddie's wearing a beret and a scarf,
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like she's some cultured sophisticate just helping mom set up
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for tonight. Maddie answers, now you kids are leaving her
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Mom tells them go get on your bikes and ride already.
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Felicia mirror raises her finger. Yeah, probably not a good idea,
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missus Donnerley. The winds are really blowing out there at school.
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Miss Temple called practice on account of that nasty storm
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coming this way. Seriously, Carter asks her, it was nice
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and clear when we biked out here after school. Ariel's
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looking down at the main mall entrance. Felicia's right, I
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can see outside those doors. There's some nasty looking clouds
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heading this way. Maddie's mom turns to the kids. On
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second thought, maybe you'd better just stay here. I can
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take them home ahead of that storm. Felicia offers. My
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SUV's parked just outside, more than enough room for all
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of us. What about our bikes, Carter asks, we'll just
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put a few of them on the racks and another
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one in back. She says, you sure it won't be
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a problem. Maddie's mom asks her, No, not at all,
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Felicia assures her. Then she looks at the kids. What
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could go wrong?
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U sh it was only the wind. You're safe, weekly spooky.
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We'll be right back.
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So it was settled. After saying goodbye to Maddie's mom,
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we walk out the main mole doors. The kids quickly
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unlock and bring their bikes over. These bikes look like
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they're right out of the nineteen eighty six movie Rad
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Some of us saw at Felicia's cabin after a football game.
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You guys stunt ride, Felicia asks them, Madeline and I do.
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Carter answers. Madeline let Ariel have her super goose so
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she can ride with us. Felicia nods once. Nice. Where
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do you all live? Oh it'll be pretty convenient, Maddie says.
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Ariel and me live together. They're on Main Street near
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downtown village and Carter lifts right next door. We share
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the same driveway. Sweet, Felicia cheers, Let's get a move
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on now. She's looking a bit worried. Anybody feeling a
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little trip to OZ today. I turn and give her
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a scowl. Shut up as usual, Felicia takes me with
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a grain of salt. There you go, always the Debbie Downer.
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We all get in the suv soon. Felicia's driving toward
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main Street. It'll be a few miles before we make
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the turn. Suddenly, Maddie appears in between Felicia and me. Yeah,
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what you just said about Oz, Felicia. She points back
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with her thumb, A great big twisty kind of just
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touched down back there. I quickly look behind us. Maddie
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ain't kidding. Felicia, we got to take shelter yesterday. Hang on,
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Felicia replies. She quickly turns and heads for the tunnel
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underneath the abandoned railroad yard. I look back to see
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that tornado and see lightning coming out of it. Something
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ain't right about that. Anie and I learned our cheerleading
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Captain's good at driving with a lead foot as fast
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as she's taking the curves and turns. Before long, she
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gets us underneath the tunnel and stops. She cuts the
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motor and we wade out the tornado. After a while,
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we all agree to head out. Felicia starts her car
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back up and drives us to the other side of
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the tunnel. When we come out, it's raining like Niagara
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Falls and as dark as night. Felicia's gotta go full