Chapter 1: To Be or Not To Be...

“Esmeralda is...gone?”

Nina’s only response was to nod. She could offer no other details. Apparently, everyone had gone out to search as best they could, but Esmeralda was nowhere to be found.

“Hm...”

Faced with this mystery, the mind of Great Detective Mia instantly logicked out a few possible explanations:

(1) The events of the day left Esmeralda feeling like the odd one out, so she threw a hissy fit and ran away from home. Cave. Whatever.

(2) She couldn’t resist the Call To Adventure™ and decided to explore the mysterious island.

(3) She got hungry and went looking for something tasty to eat.

Frankly, all three are equally likely... Or maybe it’s because of some even stupider reason that defies all logic...

Mia shook her head and sighed.

“Ugh, I swear, that girl...”

“She might have gone to the spring by herself. Perhaps for a morning bath, or for a drink of water...” suggested a nervous Nina.

Mia nodded.

“Hm, good point... She does seem like the kind of person who’d claim that a glass of ice cold spring water, fresh from the source, is the only way to start the day... Let’s hurry and go take a look around the spring then.”

“Hold on.” Sion put up an arresting hand. “There’s no point in all of us going together. Keithwood, could you head down to the beach? Keep your eyes on the sea and cover as much of the shoreline as you can.”

“You’re thinking she might have gone to see if the Emerald Star is back, I presume? Got it.”

“That and pirates. In the unlikely event that they have a ship somewhere around here, she might have mistaken it for the Emerald Star and gotten herself kidnapped.”

Sion’s comment jogged