backward and Laura to come toppling down upon her.
Here we were in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of some God-forsaken woods with two prone women on a bridge.
Just then I spied the arrival of Alison and Lisa.
"What's going on?” Alison yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth to the bridge the distance.
"Nothing,” I yelled back. “Just Laura and Holly playing out their Tarzan and Jane fantasy. Just hang tight. They'll be off in a few."
Laura attempted to crawl and pull Holly with her as she went. Despite the gag, I could make out the word “go” being yelled. Holly yelled “no” in return, and soon “Go! No!” became an odd mantra. In the midst of this battle of wills, I saw Lisa, and Lisa alone, fumble in her bandana-darkness until she grasped the ropes of the bridge. She began crossing. Alison was yelling at her to stop, but she continued unabated.
At that moment, Holly sat straight up, plowing Laura out of her way. “Laura,” she shouted, “I am quite capable of getting us across this bridge, so shut the hell up! Now stand up!"
Laura did not move, and a flurry of muffled words still found their way through the bandana.
"Lisa, stop! You're making the bridge sway!” I yelled, but it seemed she was blind, mute, and completely deaf.
Holly was still ripping into Laura. “Stand up, I said! You think I'm some ditzy blond who can't take care of herself, let alone you. You are wrong, Detective. Now shut up and stand the hell up!"
"Laura, just stand up,” I instructed. “Just do what she—"
Before I could finish my directive, Holly spun her head around and shot me a look even dirtier than Susan's leg. “You shut the hell up, too, Kate! Otherwise she's trusting you and not me. It should be easier for her to trust me than you!"
Ouch!But she was right. Holly was in charge. Whatever happened to them, and the approaching Lisa, was their doing, not mine.
Apparently Laura got the message as well, for she grabbed the ropes—forcing herself to stand in the midst of surrender. She pulled herself upright, and in so doing, the motion of the three of them caused the bridge to nearly turn over completely. In a split second, I saw Lisa take a nosedive over the side, her body hitting the incline and rolling to the bottom of the gully.
"Lisa!” Alison yelled and took off to help her.
Laura and Holly had managed to hang on, and instead of being traumatized by the situation, they were madly laughing. In a doubled-over squat position they made their way toward me, Holly moving backwards, Laura blindly facing me.
Before their feet made the final steps onto land, loud music rang out from Laura's back pocket. In the eerie silence of the gully, the words of Cheap Trick spewed forth: “I want you to want me. I need you to need me. I'd love you to love me. I'm beggin’ you to beg me.”What?
From below us, I heard Lisa shouting, “Here!” I looked over the edge to see her, bandana-less, flailing a white paper napkin high and a cell phone above her head. Alison struggled in vain to get them from her.
"What the—"
"She got the napkin with our number on it!” Holly declared. “The bitch called the number to see who would answer! The bitch called our phone, Laura!"
With that, Laura removed her blindfold and stared into the gully. Then she removed the last bandana and yelled, “Alison, you okay?"
"Oh, I'm sure she is now,” Lisa wailed.
"Screw the clue!” Holly said. “Come on, you guys!"
She and Laura nearly sprinted across the bridge. I helped Claudia out of her bonds, and Maggie did the same for Susan. When we made it back to the other side of the gully, Laura and Holly were walking away with Alison, Holly's arm around her, apologizing for being so stupid.
Back at the road, we decided to do what we had done with the Mad Cow incident: we were all winners, or all losers, depending upon your perspective.
The seven of us headed back, leaving Lisa to her own devices and her own
Here we were in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of some God-forsaken woods with two prone women on a bridge.
Just then I spied the arrival of Alison and Lisa.
"What's going on?” Alison yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth to the bridge the distance.
"Nothing,” I yelled back. “Just Laura and Holly playing out their Tarzan and Jane fantasy. Just hang tight. They'll be off in a few."
Laura attempted to crawl and pull Holly with her as she went. Despite the gag, I could make out the word “go” being yelled. Holly yelled “no” in return, and soon “Go! No!” became an odd mantra. In the midst of this battle of wills, I saw Lisa, and Lisa alone, fumble in her bandana-darkness until she grasped the ropes of the bridge. She began crossing. Alison was yelling at her to stop, but she continued unabated.
At that moment, Holly sat straight up, plowing Laura out of her way. “Laura,” she shouted, “I am quite capable of getting us across this bridge, so shut the hell up! Now stand up!"
Laura did not move, and a flurry of muffled words still found their way through the bandana.
"Lisa, stop! You're making the bridge sway!” I yelled, but it seemed she was blind, mute, and completely deaf.
Holly was still ripping into Laura. “Stand up, I said! You think I'm some ditzy blond who can't take care of herself, let alone you. You are wrong, Detective. Now shut up and stand the hell up!"
"Laura, just stand up,” I instructed. “Just do what she—"
Before I could finish my directive, Holly spun her head around and shot me a look even dirtier than Susan's leg. “You shut the hell up, too, Kate! Otherwise she's trusting you and not me. It should be easier for her to trust me than you!"
Ouch!But she was right. Holly was in charge. Whatever happened to them, and the approaching Lisa, was their doing, not mine.
Apparently Laura got the message as well, for she grabbed the ropes—forcing herself to stand in the midst of surrender. She pulled herself upright, and in so doing, the motion of the three of them caused the bridge to nearly turn over completely. In a split second, I saw Lisa take a nosedive over the side, her body hitting the incline and rolling to the bottom of the gully.
"Lisa!” Alison yelled and took off to help her.
Laura and Holly had managed to hang on, and instead of being traumatized by the situation, they were madly laughing. In a doubled-over squat position they made their way toward me, Holly moving backwards, Laura blindly facing me.
Before their feet made the final steps onto land, loud music rang out from Laura's back pocket. In the eerie silence of the gully, the words of Cheap Trick spewed forth: “I want you to want me. I need you to need me. I'd love you to love me. I'm beggin’ you to beg me.”What?
From below us, I heard Lisa shouting, “Here!” I looked over the edge to see her, bandana-less, flailing a white paper napkin high and a cell phone above her head. Alison struggled in vain to get them from her.
"What the—"
"She got the napkin with our number on it!” Holly declared. “The bitch called the number to see who would answer! The bitch called our phone, Laura!"
With that, Laura removed her blindfold and stared into the gully. Then she removed the last bandana and yelled, “Alison, you okay?"
"Oh, I'm sure she is now,” Lisa wailed.
"Screw the clue!” Holly said. “Come on, you guys!"
She and Laura nearly sprinted across the bridge. I helped Claudia out of her bonds, and Maggie did the same for Susan. When we made it back to the other side of the gully, Laura and Holly were walking away with Alison, Holly's arm around her, apologizing for being so stupid.
Back at the road, we decided to do what we had done with the Mad Cow incident: we were all winners, or all losers, depending upon your perspective.
The seven of us headed back, leaving Lisa to her own devices and her own
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