Right up until the moment he was kidnapped, Jeremy was actually enjoying the Animalian Halloween Carnival.
Jeremy had been alone at the midway. Heather had to rush to the bathroom again and Polly had run off with her foster siblings, Marcy and Chilly. Jeremy guessed that Marcy was trying to be nice, acting as a surrogate babysitter so he could be alone with Heather. But part of him was wary and suspected an ulterior motive.
Was Marcy trying to steal his sister away from him?
Mrs. White's request was still fresh in his thoughts and weighed heavy on his mind. He loved his sister - had devoted his whole life to her - and the idea of giving her up for adoption was unbearable. She was the only family he had left. Could he really just send her away like some unwanted trash? Could he stand being left all alone?
On the other hand, maybe Polly would be better off with the White family. They could give her what he could not - a stable home environment. Polly would no longer be home alone, waiting for Jeremy to return after a long day at the lab, just to get stuck with some takeout food or a terrible microwave dinner before rushing off to bed. Polly would have a brother and sister to play with, a mother to care for her and make her a proper meal, and a father .... well, a father would be there for her whenever she needed him.
And, of course, Polly would be with her own kind. They could help her deal with the difficulties of being a polar bear based on their own personal experiences, not just from what they had read in some academic journal. It would hurt him deeply, maybe even kill him a little inside. Jeremy would miss spending time with Polly - playing games, reading to her, and being rewarded with a goodnight kiss after tucking her in at night. But he had to think about what was best for Polly. After all, didn't they say if you loved something, you had to let it go?
Jeremy found the thought very depressing and chose not to dwell on it. Tonight was a time for fun. He could worry about Polly's situation tomorrow. At least for tonight he needed to be happy ... for his sister's sake. Jeremy wanted what might be their last night together to be a pleasant memory for Polly.
Instead, while Jeremy waited for Heather to return he wandered down the midway, looking more at the people than the games. Well, the people and the Animalians. The Animalians seemed happy for the most part. There were a few angry faces, but no more than the humans wandering among them. In the mixed crowd, they really did not seem that different from the humans. They were having just as much fun and didn't seem hindered by their appearances. Maybe Dr. Jones was right. Maybe there was nothing to cure....
A sudden tugging on the leg of his trousers brought Jeremy out of his thoughtful musings and back to reality. He saw a small furry Animalian looking up at him, its hand on his leg.
"Come. Come with me. She need you."
The creature was covered in filthy rags. He idly wondered if it was wearing some kind of costume or if it was part of the Halloween carnival. It looked like it might have been one of the actors from the 'demonic farm' attraction. It was small, between three and four feet tall, but Jeremy didn't know if it was a very short adult or a tall child. With Animalians it was hard to tell, especially with all the double-dosing. The rags covered most of its body, including its head, so he wasn't even sure what species it was supposed to be. He could see some fur and a hairless tail poking out behind it. He assumed it was some kind of mammal, maybe an opossum...
"Hurry. She need you. Come now. She hurt..."
Jeremy was confused by its speech. It must have been some kind of uplifted animal. Weren't they required to learn how to speak properly in school?
"I am sorry, but I don't understand you. Are you missing your parents? Your friends? Maybe we can get someone to help..." said Jeremy, scanning the crowd for a Rhino guard, a police officer, or even a security guard. But there was none in sight.
Never around when you need one, thought Jeremy.
"Hurry. You come. Now. She need you. Family need you..." said the creature, tugging on his hand.
The creature's hand was smooth, but felt dirty all the same. He could see long sharp nails extending from its fingers. He wanted to pull his hand away, to avoid another touch by this loathsome creature. Then it hit him ... family...
"Are you talking about Polly? Is she hurt? Is she okay?"
The creature said nothing. It just shambled away into the crowd, pausing just once to beckon Jeremy to follow.
Jeremy didn't hesitate. He pursued the creature, weaving through the crowd of people and Animalians without care. The creature was nimble, moving through the mass of people with ease. Jeremy had to hurry just to keep it in sight. He was so focused on his mission that he did not notice when he passed his sister, who watched with curiosity as her brother ran through the crowd in a panic.
I wonder where he is going, thought Polly.
Even when Jeremy exited the fairgrounds and followed the creature into the darkness just outside the edge of the carnival, he did not think something was amiss. It was only when the creature stopped and paused before a small hole in the ground did Jeremy begin to question what he was doing.
"There. Down there," said the creature, pointing down the hole.
It was a circular hole set in stone, much too narrow for Polly to fit through. Jeremy wondered if even he could fit through such a small space.
"Polly is not down there. What is going on here? Who are you?" asked Jeremy.
The creature said nothing. It just stared at him impassively, the bright lights of the carnival glowing red on its small, beady eyes.
"Okay, I have had enough. I am going back, " said Jeremy as he turned around.
Jeremy was shocked to see that he was surrounded by similar creatures. The small creatures in rags stood silently around him, blocking his path back to the fair.
"Okay, fun's over. I don't know who you are or what your game is, but this is not funny anymore. I am leaving... now," said Jeremy.
The creatures were small, easily brushed aside. But there were so many of them! The myriad of clawed hands grabbed a hold of him, lifting him off the ground. They dragged him kicking and screaming towards the gaping hole.
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Polly had followed Jeremy to the edge of the fair, curious what he was doing. At first she thought he was abandoning her, leaving the fair and breaking his promise to spend time with her. Then she saw the multitude of strange Animalians surrounding him.
Were they his friends? Was this some kind of game?
When Jeremy started screaming for help she realized it was no game. Polly didn't hesitate to run off into the darkness to help her brother.
"Polly! Wait! Where are you going?" yelled Marcy from the safety of the well-lit fairgrounds.
Chilly hopped the small railing and ran after her, while Marcy went looking for a Rhino Guard. But by the time Chilly reached the hole it was too late. Polly had also been too late. Jeremy and all the creatures were gone, seemingly disappearing into thin air. Polly sat at the edge of the manhole, crying. Chilly looked down into the dark sewer and shivered. For just a second he thought he saw a pair of red eyes staring back at him. But after he blinked it was gone, if it had ever been there at all, leaving nothing but the cold empty darkness below.
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Heather felt a little disappointed when she returned to the midway and couldn't find Jeremy.
Had he gone home? Had he abandoned her to spend time with his sister?
But when Heather saw the large crowd slowly gathering outside the carnival along with the bright lights of a police cruiser, she began to get worried. Very worried. She didn't bother to jump over the railing lining the fairgrounds. She ran straight through it, splitting the wood in half.
Heather saw Polly being comforted by a Rhino Guard and her fear reached a fever pitch.
"Where is he? Where is he?" she snarled.
Heather was not unknown to the Rhino guard. The video of her takedown had become required viewing for all the cadets. So when they saw the enraged dinosaur they reacted instinctually and pulled out their tasers, setting the charge to the highest setting.
"Take it easy. She is not a danger. She is with me, " said a familiar voice. "It's our friend that is missing."
At first Heather was confused when she saw a Japanese Gargoyle looking up at her. Then she recognized Sophie underneath her costume.
The guards relaxed a little. Not much, but just a little. Thanks to her show, Sophie was something of a minor celebrity herself. Her words were taken as fact by a lot of people. But that didn't erase the suspicion that still lingered around Heather.
"Where... is ... he?" said Heather gruffly, between deep breaths.
Sophie was a little confused. She liked Jeremy all right, he seemed like a nice enough guy and she sure wouldn't wish him any harm. But she had no idea why Heather cared so much.
"They took him! They took him down there!" wailed Polly as she pointed at the manhole.
The crowd began to murmur and the Rhino guard decided to finally clear the area. They began to move the people back and secure the perimeter. But that didn't stop Heather from forcing her way to the hole. She began to pull at the hard concrete. The Rhino guards yelled warnings at her.
Sophie put a hand on Heather's broad shoulder.
"Stop, Heather. You are not helping. You are much too big to fit down there. And even if you could, you would just get lost," said Sophie.
"So what? Am I just supposed to give up?" said Heather through tear-filled eyes.
Sophie was truly shocked. She didn't think Heather cared about anybody, well anybody but her grandmother.
"Hole is too small, even for the wolves on the police force. The human police might be able to squeeze in with some dogs, but between the smell and the water they will have a hell of a time tracking him, " said Malice. "You need somebody small that can track well in aquatic environment. Maybe an amphibian..."
Sophie pulled out her phone and placed a call.
"Who are you calling?" asked Roland.
Sophie held up her finger to silence him.
"Dr. Stein? I am sorry to bother you while you are trying to spend the holiday with your family, but it is kind of an emergency," began Sophie. "I need to get in touch with Chel. We need her help...."