Thank you for your patience! We ran into some difficulties as to what our actual plot was going to be, but now Jules and I have it straightened out. Your comments have been a blessing! Keep us accountable if we make a mistake. Also, there have been so many wonderful new members joining recently that we are unable to include any more characters. Please accept our apologies, but I do believe that The Inklings books are to be a series. If you do not make it into this one, most likely you will make it into the next one or the one after that. As always, thanks to R.K. for editing.

Christina shivered convulsively as she climbed out of her warm puffy sheets. She grinned as she heard Sam, Beth and Cherith breathing gently on the floor; Beth snored. Christina looked out the window. The sunrise had not yet painted the horizon and a warbling bird sang blithely all alone.
If I were a creature on this day, thought Christina, I’d be that lone bird. It was a strange thought, but she liked it. Christina went into the bathroom, sang quietly in the shower and got dressed. She wondered lazily at the silence throughout the rest of the house; the water hitting the bathtub floor sounded like crashes. Christina emerged in a hot cloud of steam. She looked up and down the hall, but saw no one.
Perhaps they’re down in the basement. The tall elfin girl opened the basement door, but no light fell onto the burnished floor. She suddenly remembered the strange feeling from last night and a chill crept up her back. She turned and fled back into her room, slamming the door behind her, and jumped back into her bed. Sam turned over in her sleep and Cherith mumbled something quietly about flies. Beth continued to snore.
A few hours passed and the wind howled. Christina lay in her bed and listened to it. It sounded angry, like a beast that wished to pry cold fingers down her shirt. She was drifting into a warm, delicious semi-sleep when a furious pounding at the front door jolted her awake. Perhaps her parents had been locked out? She slipped out of bed and rushed barefoot to the living room. She wrenched open the door and to her surprise, found Sybil standing there, followed by Jo, Meggy and Rose. They all looked grimy and groggy, and Christina hastily let them in.
“What happened?” she asked in amazement as Sybil thrust a package of light green stationary into her hand.
“Mari, Gabrielle and Katie have all gone missing!” Her brown eyes glinted angrily and, had Maddock been there, she would have vented her anger by punching his arm hard. Christina dropped the stationary and stared at her four friends.
“You have GOT to be kidding me,” she squeaked. “Kidnapped? Are you positive?” She led her fellow Inklings to the dining room to sit down.
“Hanz, Jane, Sarah, Katie and I were all on the chocolate box last night when Katie said she heard a noise outside and wanted to go check it out.” Sybil took a breath. “Time passed, and she never came back! I called her cell and there was only that dull voicemail.”
“We were walking home,” Meggy continued as she waved towards Jo and Rose, “when Sybil comes running up with no coat and says something’s happened. We tried contacting Mari and Gabrielle, but we got nothing and when we were passing by an alley, we saw a bunch of rubble and some smashed-up boxes. And there was Mari’s Turtle of Doom, freezing by itself. He’s over at my place now.”
Rose spoke up, “If Mariella’s Turtle has been left all alone, you KNOW something’s wrong.”
Jo leaned back in her chair and shook her head. “This is weird.” Christina frowned at her for stating the obvious. “I could somehow sensed that something was wrong, I don’t know how but I could feel it…”
“We all did,” Sybil huffed. “And I think this all has something to do with that Mr. White. So here is the stationary. We must write him and, much as I hate to force my Muse, agree to helping him.” The others nodded their acquiescence and Rose got out a pen. Quickly the girls wrote a letter to the professor and they all tramped out to put it in the mailbox.
Then they all looked at one another. “Now what?”

Ian awoke with a snort on his disheveled pallet; he’d not wanted to sleep in his room because of “that weird feeling”, and Laura had convinced her mother to let them both stay up in the living room. Laura sat up on the couch and shook the dizziness from her eyes. Her laptop lay shoved to one side and her lavender sweater was twisted around her shoulders. Laura pushed Ian towards the bathroom and walked over to their mother, who was fixing breakfast in the kitchen. Laura thoughtfully whisked the eggs around in a glass bowl. What a strange feeling had passed over her last night! She looked around at Ian’s tousled hair as he cocked an eyebrow at her. Now that the morning lights had broken over the gray January hills, everything seemed alright. There was nothing to fear; Laura was safe and warm within her mother’s house. She beat the eggs harder, eager to go over to Sybil’s house for the meeting.

Jane, Sarah and Hanz walked through the gray woods carrying sticks for swords. Every other step they called out “Katie!” but it had been three hours and Katie had not shown herself. Hanz had rushed over to her house and had thoroughly scoured the yard and every bush, but there was no sign of either Katie or anything that could have made the noise. Hanz was an excellent tracker and he finally had to conclude that there was nothing for it but to search Dale high and low for their friend.
Jane, her long dark hair damp and twisted with dew and twigs, sat down on a fallen tree and gave a frustrated sigh. Sarah twirled her stick and lopped off a young sapling.
“You don’t think she went into the mountains?” Jane shivered, her face haggard with weariness. She’d been searching frantically all night. The flitting shadows and pictures of what horrible things could leap out to get her friend had haunted her happy spirit.
Hanz rubbed his arms and shrugged a shoulder. “I doubt she would have made it all the way into the mountains in one night,” he said, scanning the horizon between the stark trees. “One can’t go straight into the peaks without having to take a lot of side paths and detours.”
Sarah sighed and tears glistened behind her eyelashes. “I just can’t believe she’s gone. I mean, it was all so sudden! Oooh, if only there was someone who could tell us where she went!”
“I might be able to,” said a deep voice behind them. All three Inklings jumped and brandished their sticks.

Cherise turned the doorknob carefully and shuddered as the cold air hit her chest. She closed the front door behind her and wrapped her coat tighter about her. Hopping up and down, she made her way to the end of the driveway and began walking along the road.
Nothing like a brisk morning walk to get the inspiration flowing…humph! Nothing like freezing your nose off to get it…Cherise’s grumbling thoughts halted when she saw a girl run like crazy to her mailbox and wrench it open. Cherise watched, snickering, while the girl pawed through the mail, pulled out a bright lime green envelope, and proceeded to read it right there before the street. Cherise wondered whether she should walk the other way or meet the girl, but as she was about to turn and trot back the girl looked up and noticed her.
“Yo!” she called. Cherise blinked. “Huh?”
“Hey, you!” The girl tucked the mail under her arm and ran across the street, narrowly missing a speeding car. “Yo!” she said again when she was close to Cherise.
“Um…hi,” Cherise said. The girl was tall with short golden brown hair and ruddy cheeks. She wore a plaid kilt skirt and had several plastic bead bracelets and ponytail holders on her wrists.
“My name’s Sydney Johnson, what’s yours?” she asked.
“Cherise,” she answered. Sydney pumped her hand up and down.
“Nice, very nice. You can call me Syd, though. Can I call you Cherry?” The girls looked at each other and grinned.
“Do you live in that house?” Cherise asked, pointing. She was surprised to find herself walking along the sidewalk with the girl and swinging her arms in wide arcs.
“Yeah,” said Syd. “We just moved there and today was my first time checking the mail.” She winked and held up her bundle. “We got a lotta stuff! How do these crazy folks find our address?”
Cherise laughed and noticed the purple clouds for the first time. “I have no idea, but a few weeks ago we got an ad for Papa John’s! Imagine, who’d want to bother sending us a pizza ad?”
Syd laughed uproariously and zipped up her coat. She looked around happily. “Where are we going?”
“I was taking a walk before my writing time. It seems to help me, although Mari and Gabrielle find it more helpful to take night walks and Hanz stays up until five doing chemistry.”
“Who are they?”
Cherise blushed. She’d almost forgotten the girl still had no idea of the kids her age in Dale, much less the Inklings.
“Oh…it’s just a writing group that meets together at Sybil’s house almost every day. There are a lot of us now.”
“A writing group? That sounds cool! Do you like to write?” Syd said.
Cherise laughed shyly. “I’ve already written lots of things. I want to be a writer.”
“So what do you do at the meetings?”
Cherise’s eyes glowed. “We read aloud our writing and give each other feedback, and our characters talk to each other and three members share a Muse who runs off all the time and we have adventures and kill each other and eat sardines and push each other into lakes and celebrate special occasions with wild parties and lots of root beer-” She suddenly broke off. Syd was guffawing. Her cheeks flamed; how could she have been so foolish? To someone who wasn’t a writer, everything she’d just said made no sense at all! But then Syd shouted, “That sounds PERFECT!!!” Cherise stopped walking and turned to look at the girl. “What do you mean?”
“I’m a writer and that sounds exactly like what I was hoping for!” Syd danced around on the sidewalk and spilled some of her mail.
“Y-you’re a…a writer!” Cherise declared. She was suddenly very happy and the next few hours were spent scheming with Syd to lay out plans for her membership to the Inklings.

Justyne and Leah laughed peered through the spyglass again. “Yup, he got it!!!” Leah squealed, and jumped up and down. Their father was walking mischievously out of Justyne’s garage, with what his daughter hoped was a laptop for her birthday tucked conspicuously under his arm. Leah danced up and down, happy for her friend. “This’ll be great!” she screamed in a whisper. Justyne couldn’t stand it any longer. She was about to leap out at her father, surprising him, when a great explosion rocked Dale. Leah yelled and sat down hard. Justyne covered her eyes as she heard her father give an astonished cry. The town spun before her eyes as she looked around. Then Leah gave a horrible shriek. Justyne’s friend lay on the gravel driveway, unmoving.
“LEAH!” Justyne screamed. Her father had dropped the parcel in horror. Leah’s blood was spilling out onto a shiny new laptop.

Joy met Lucy at Alex’s door and they decided to pay his little sister Ness a visit. They knocked together on the white door. “How have you been?” Joy asked Lucy as they waited. “I want to get to know you better.”
“Oh, I’ve been doing very good,” Lucy answered. She suddenly giggled. “Are you random?”
“Dearie, every single Inkling is weird, random and crazy. You fit right in.” Lucy roared with laughter as Joy knocked again. The door finally opened with a creak. Lucy and Joy gave a simultaneous gasp as they saw Alex, a Medieval sword in hand, open the door and glare at them. There were dark circles under his eyes and his usually happy face was haggard. Ness was shaking behind him. “Inklings!” she cried, and burst into tears. Lucy moved and wrapped her arms around the younger girl. Joy looked around. “What is wrong?” she demanded. Alex shuddered and sank to the floor. His words were so soft, Joy had to bend down to hear them.
“They tried to kill us.”

Jules, Mark, Pip, and R.K. lay trembling on the ground as rubble showered over their heads. The shaking finally stopped. Mark was the first to look up.
"Holy taters!" he exclaimed.
The others stood. There, in the middle of the living room, was a bright red double-decker bus. Along the side in glossy yellow lettering were the words "T. White Shuttle Service".
"What the . . ." R.K. was stopped short by a loud creaking noise. The door of the bus was opening. Jules drew his sword. Pip threw back her head. Mark hid under R.K.'s cloak and the villain scowled.
A man no taller than Jules' knee got off the bus and stepped onto the glass-strewn floor. He was wearing a gray coat that was much too big for him and a black top hat was perched on his head. This he doffed, and bowed low.
"My name," he said in a surprisingly deep voice, "Is Mr. Magog Big. I am the head character of Mr. White's estate, and he has sent me to come for you. He requires your assistance immediately!"
"Sent for us?" repeated Mark, coming out of his hiding place. R.K. snarled and wrapped his long black cloak more tightly around himself.
"Someone must have already replied to his letter," exclaimed Pip. Jules tried to look intimidating towards Magog Big, but he couldn’t help liking him. “The rest of us weren’t consulted! Who answered the letter?”
"Me!"
Everyone looked up in surprise as Sybil leaned out of a window in the top deck of the bus. Her short brown hair bobbed around her worried face. Christina, Jo, Meggy, and Rose were looking out the other windows.
"And just WHY did you not tell us you were answering White’s letter?" R.K. asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"I did it on an impulse," said Sybil. “We all talked about it and decided something like this couldn’t wait. Beth, Cherith and Sam are on guard duty over at my house to welcome the Inklings who haven’t heard the news yet and direct them to Mr. White’s house. And by the way, we're staying the night."
"So," said Mr. Big gesturing toward the door, "are we ready to go?"
"Oh, hang on a minute, I didn’t hear this part!” Rose said. “We’re staying the night?" She looked like she would panic. "But I haven't packed or anything! What about clothes? Make-up? And SHOES!!!!!"
"Just like a girl," Jules said to himself. He coughed as Pip turned a piercing glare on him.
"You needn't worry your head about that," said Mr. Big shaking his little head, "We have everything you fair maidens and brave warriors require at the house.” Pip turned bright red and Mark couldn’t help swaggering. “And I'm sure the Nymphs could weave you something."
Meggy’s eyes brightened. "Nymphs?" she repeated excitedly. “You failed to mention that yet!”
Mr. Big nodded. "And Elves."
Pip jumped into the bus without hesitating. "Then what are we waiting for?" she yelled. Jules was glad his parents weren't home. This was nuts! He pushed aside all doubts of what he would tell them when they finally got home and stepped into the bus, followed by Mark and R.K. Magog Big closed the door behind them. Jules looked around. Inside it looked much bigger than it did on the outside.
"I claim shotgun!" shouted Mark as he plopped down beside Magog Big.
"I claim shotgun upstairs!" said Jules.
"Not before I get it!" challenged Pip. Jules laughed wickedly. He ran up to the top deck with Pip and R.K. right behind him.
Jules beat them to the top, but his victory was cut short when he saw that Sybil was already in the front seat.
"Oh man," he said. "Well, I wanted to sit in the back anyway. I just…"
Jo laughed and R.K. snorted. Jules sat in the back row and looked out the window. "Hey!" he said suddenly.
"What?" asked Sybil looking back.
"I thought there would be a hole in the wall," said Jules, "You know, where the bus crashed through."
Everyone looked, and sure enough the house was just as it had been before the bus came. Jo rolled her eyes. “It’s a magic bus, stupid.” Jules looked around at his living room outside, and discovered that all the rubble and broken glass has disappeared. He looked at Magog Big in amazement. Was he some sort of magician?
Mr. Big's voice came over the intercom. "Are you all ready?"
"Yeah!" they all chorused.
"Okay, then! Reach under your seat, pull that metal bar and we'll be on our way."
Everyone reached under their seats and felt for the bar. Their hands only felt the smooth seats.
"You people are so gullible!" laughed Mr. Big.
Everyone but R.K. chuckled. "Not funny, little man. . ." he mumbled.
There was a jolt, and everyone buckled up in a hurry. "Wait!" said Meggy suddenly, "how are we going to get out?" The wall had mended itself and the bus sat huge and squat in the middle of Jules’s living room.
"You'll see," answered Christina, smiling.
Jules looked out the window. The bus was moving straight toward the wall. He felt sick as he thought of the long hours spent painting that ridiculous wall with his father.
"We’re gonna crash!!!" Mark yelled.
"No, just watch and see," Jo grinned. This was insane!
The bus was now a foot away from the wall. Mark looked scared, and R.K. considered laughing wildly. Jules didn't know what to do, but Sybil, Meggy, Rose, Christina and Jo were all smiling so he tried to relax. The wall was two feet away…one foot…half a foot…
The bus passed right through the wall as if it wasn't there. Gray late afternoon sunshine poured through the bus windows and fell on confused faces.
"That was…weird," remarked Pip.
"Y’think?" said R.K. sarcastically.
Mr. Big's voice came over the intercom again. "Is everyone buckled up?"
"Yes!" they all chorused.
"Then grab the person beside you and HOLD ON TIGHT!" Jo and Rose clung giggling to each other as Sybil and Christina hugged tight. Jules and Mark grabbed the seats in front of them because they was sitting alone. R.K. put a protective arm around his SAE. There was a loud creaking moan, and the bus lunged forward. Everyone felt as if they’d left their bodies behind.
Jules looked out the window and realized that the bus was going at speeds he thought impossible for a bus of that size. "And we are off!" Mr. Big's booming voice came over the intercom.
"We're FLYING?!?!" Mark called out loudly to be heard over the swish of the air. R.K. looked disgusted. “A flying bus? What is this, a kid’s cartoon?” Pip laughed and shrugged his arm off her shoulders.
"Nope, it’s called the next best thing," came Mr. Big's voice again. "Just sit back and relax. In the extremely likely event of an emergency, let me assure you I cannot do CPR or any other kind of First Aid. And also, refrain from smoking, as we have no extinguisher on board. No liquid beverages and/or iPods."
This made everybody gulp. Christina laughed delightedly and R.K. wrapped his arms around Pip and refused to let go.
Mr. Big laughed. "Just kidding. Thank you for choosing Mr. White’s Very Fast Bus Service!"
The bus raced along the quiet streets of Dale. It was evening and most people were having supper in their homes, but a businessman walking briskly on the sidewalk with a cell phone stopped short and stared after them, and a lady with a long pink dress walking a fluffy poodle got her leash tangled up. Meggy stared back after them and said “MUAHAHAHAHA!” The flickering lights mesmerized Jules and he lazily wondered whether their characters would be able to find them at White’s house.
Finally, as the foggy mountains loomed up and the streetlamps of Dale were far behind them, Magog Big's voice announced: "We're about to stop!"
Everyone sat up straight and waited excitedly. There was a jolt, and if they had been buckled, everyone would have been on the floor. Mark groaned and felt carsick. Sybil laughed shakily.
"I think…that means…we're here,” Pip breathed. Her wild curly hair was even crazier but Jules fought back the urge to laugh because R.K. had turned to stare at him.
Everyone unbuckled and went down the metal bus stairway. The cold winter air slapped them in the face as they pervaded a dark lawn. Peering ahead, they saw a large house that looked as if it was built in the 1700's. Jules counted five rows of windows peeking out of a thick growth of ivy that covered the entire front, indicating five floors. But the thing everyone noticed was the feeling in the air. Jules couldn't tell exactly what it was, but the best way to describe it was that this place was Alive.
"Where are the Elves and Nymphs?" asked Rose, looking around.
"Never fear, you will be able to meet everyone in time." answered Mr. Big "Lately things have been happening that prevents decent characters from wandering about the manor…more about that later. Why don't we go inside now?"
The shivering Inklings needed no further prodding, and they followed their little guide up the stone steps. Jo reached down and stroked the freezing rock; it was perhaps the oldest thing she’d ever touched. Magog Big halted at two huge oaken doors. He snapped and they opened of their own will with a echoing moan. The foyer was lit by a large chandelier, and in front of them was spiral red carpeted staircase. Mr. Big led them up. Meggy felt a thrill ran through her as the sound of their tennis shoes padded on the thick red carpet. Sybil loved the polished vine railing and let her hand trail along it as Magog Big came to the top of the spiraling stairway.
"Wow!" exclaimed Mark, while the others fell silent in wonder, "an entire room made of GLASS!" His voice sounded obscenely loud in the glittering room and Rose felt nervous.
It took a minute to take it all in. The walls were made of glass, the ceiling was made of glass, the table, the chairs, the candlesticks…everything was made out of clear, frosty glass.
"Incredible, isn't it?" came a rich deep voice.
The authors turned and saw a tall thin man with a shock of white unruly hair emerge from a shadow. On his shoulder sat a raven with a with cloth tied around his wing. The man was wearing a black coat with two long coattails flowing behind him.
"It is," said Meggy slowly, "but aren't you afraid it might break?"
"If I thought it would break, dear girl," answered the man, "I wouldn't have built it, now would I?"
There was a moment of silence. "So you're Mr. White?" asked Jules.
"Yes, and you're the Inklings, I gather," he said smiling.
“Some of us,“ clarified Jo. “More will be along as we decide what to do.” There was a crash from a distant room, and a resounding thud from the floor above. "Oh, dear," murmured Nevermore the raven, "they're at it again." His voice was bristly and conniving, but not unkind.
"Business must wait till tomorrow, I'm afraid," said Mr. White. “In the meantime, it is necessary to get a lot of sleep.” He turned and called down the stairway, "Mr. Small?"
A huge man appeared at the top of the spiral staircase. "Yes, sir?"
"Show these young people to their rooms. Have a few sleep with each other, I’m afraid my house isn’t safe for sleeping alone anymore.” He smiled at his guests and melted back into the shadows.
The towering bulk of a man called Mr. Small led the Inklings to a corridor of rooms at the far end of the Glass Room. The girls all settled into one room and carefully pawed through glass chests of cotton nightclothes. Sybil got out her laptop, which she’d been carrying along, and opened the chocolate box. Sarah, true to her word, was there.
“Thank you for staying there,“ typed Sybil. A few seconds later Sarah typed back, “Hey, you told me to keep the chocolate box running, that’s what I’m doing!” Sybil grinned. “Have you alerted the members’ parents as to why we’re not home and what we’re doing?” A minute passed before Sarah answered “It was hard, but they’re alright with it. I think they are under the impression that we’re just playing at a sleepover.” Rose came over, wearing blue socks and a grin. “Hi, Sarah!” she typed. “Thank you for keeping guard.” Sybil sighed and typed the question that had been taunting her all evening. “Has Mari, Gabrielle or Katie been found?” Sarah typed *sigh* and said “No. No word of any of them. Hanz and the girls are still out looking.” Christina rubbed Sybil’s shoulder as tears pricked at Jo’s eyes. “How could this happen?” she thought. Pip scratched her head. “Where did my SAE go?” The girls looked around, but R.K. was gone. Pip went out into the cold dark hallway, shivering in her pants and t-shirt. It looked ghostly as moonlight streamed in through the balcony windows. She tapped on the door across from them. Mark answered it. "Is R.K. in there with you?" Pip asked. Mark shook his head. “Nope. Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll show up. You girls rest well.” He turned away and sat down beside his older brother. “Makes me nervous, having that madman prowling around.” Jules laughed and scratched his head with his pen. 
“This is weird, having only a few of the Inklings together at one time,” Mark said. Jules nodded and tapped his pen against the blank page. “Arggh,” he grunted, “I can’t think of anything to write. Sorrin, Jason, where are you?”

Sybil’s fingers lingered over her laptop. She, Rose, Jo and Meggy had already said goodnight to Sarah, and had given further instructions. Ian and Laura had come over to her house earlier that afternoon, with Cherise and a new girl named Syd, so Sarah was keeping them busy looking around Katie’s house and along alleyways. They would spend the night together and report to Sybil over the chocolate box in the morning. Now Sybil was attempting to write something, but Maddock was apparently mad at her. She couldn’t think of a thing to say. Jo and Meggy were having the same problem. “You’re lucky,” Pip commented, looking under the bed. “At least your characters aren’t a part of you as well.” She got up and glared at the glass walls. “I hope nothing hurts R.K., I’m plumb worn out.” The girls sighed and, with a last jab at writing something, flicked off the lamp and crawled into the warm flannel sheets. The moon rose and cast its rays over sleeping faces. In the other room Jules tossed and turned, worried inwardly over something he didn’t understand. They were in White’s house, why couldn’t he be at ease? Every so often a crash and a shout came from a far room. Mark slept fitfully, snoring loudly and driving Jules crazy.
Pip lied under her covers for several hours. The moonbeams seemed to pierce into her thoughts and she gave up trying to sleep. R.K. never just disappeared without a word. She finally pulled on her green jacket and tiptoed out into the hallway. The moonlight glistened in the frosted glass like tears and the red carpet on the stairway looked like blood. She grinned as she heard Mark snoring and walked silently along the corridor to the balcony. Opening the latch, Pip shivered as the wind bit right through her t-shirt. Snow had begun whirling in the midnight air and pine trees jutted tall and dark on Mr. White’s lawn. Pip leaned over the balcony railing and searched the shadowy grounds for her Semi-Alter-Ego, but his long black cloak was nowhere to be seen. She was about to go back inside and look downstairs when a big rough hand grabbed her jacket and pulled her into a strangling hold.

In the boys’ room Jules had finally drifted into oblivion and silence reined.
It didn't last for long. Jules was awakened by the sound of frightened yelling. He bolted out of bed and turned on the light. There was Mark, bound and gagged, hanging from the ceiling by a rope tied around his ankles. There was a piece of paper taped to his shirt that bore one word in sweeping, spidery lettering:
"LEAVE!"