This is the continuing serial that I started last week. You can read the first part here.

I took a daily prompt and turned it into a serial. I’ve always wanted to write one so here it is. There will be a chapter every week until the story ends, which I have no clue when that will be! So please come back every week for the exciting next installment! Hope you enjoy!

Emma Posey: The Reluctant Adventurer

Part 2

[At the end of part one, Emma had received a note from the mysterious “Four Cousins”. They wanted her help in a matter of life or death!]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few minutes before four o’clock on the 14th Emma glanced at the watch on her wrist, then peering down the street she looked both ways to see if she could spot the “four cousins”. She huffed out a breath which stirred the dark blonde bangs covering her forehead.

Using her index finger she nervously pushed her glasses further up her nose. Her glasses seemed too big for her small face and was continually slipping down her small up-turned nose. Her dark blue eyes were huge behind the lens of her glasses as they searched the street once more.

There was a bench in front of her that was for bus passengers to wait. As no one was sitting there Emma sat down and thought back on her life thus far. She glanced down at her folded hands in her lap and gave a tiny shrug.

Her life was pretty mundane she thought to herself. Even with no family and being on her own since she was 16, her life was not full of exciting things. She had lost her parents in a car accident years ago. She didn’t want to be placed in a home, so she ran away to where she lived now.

That had been eight years ago next month Emma thought to herself. She squeezed her hands together tight then let them lay limp in her lap. Her eyes teared up as she thought about her parents. She missed them every day, but at least she no longer cried herself to sleep each night.

Emma’s parents had been wards of the state when they were young. No relatives. No parents. No one. They met while they were in a foster home together, fell in love and once they were of age, married. A few years later they had Emma and their little world was complete.

That’s what Emma’s mom always told her.

“Emma dear, you made our little world complete.”

Then one rainy day while Emma was in school, her parents went out for lunch together. They were struck by a semi truck hauling goats. Were killed instantly on a rain slicked road. Emma had been called into the Principle’s office that afternoon and told the tragic news. She also had been told to wait in the hall as someone from Child Services would be there to pick her up.

After listening to horror stories all her life from her parents about foster care, Emma was not only heartbroken at losing her parents she was scared to death to ‘go into the system’. So she ran home, packed some of her favorite things and left the town she had known all her life.

A few days of bus rides later Emma landed here. A smaller town full of nice people. Well most of them were nice. There were exceptions of course. Like her boss, Mr. Wimbley. He was not a nice man Emma thought, but she loved her job so she put up with the cross Mr. Wimbley.

Mr. Wimbley was the manager of a troupe of murder mystery players. Emma was hired to keep the costumes in good repair, to purchase new costumes if necessary and to inventory all costumes and jewelry after each performance.  She loved her job and the players were like a family to her after five years being under their collective wing.

Mr. Wimbley didn’t own the company, a Mrs. Brookshire did. Emma had never met Mrs. Brookshire even though she had been hired by the good lady herself. That in itself was a rather strange tale.

Emma let out another large breath, sat up straight and looked up and down the street, again. She gave a long look left and saw nothing out-of-place, then she gave a long look right. All she saw was a man walking with a cane, an elderly lady with a shopping bag and a big orange cat sitting on a stoop washing its self.

She sat back on the bench and looked left again. She gave out a small gasp as she came face to face with a youngish man sitting on the other end of the bench! He hadn’t been there a minute ago!

He was a handsome young man, dark brown hair and hazel eyes with small flecks of green in them. Emma noticed this as he stared right at her.

“Hello Emma.”

“Hello, how do you know my name?”

“My name is Robert Hawkins and I’m a friend.”

“I don’t know  you!” Emma stated firmly.

“But we know about you Emma, my cousins and I.”

Emma swung her head back and forth.

“Where are your cousins then?” She asked the brash young man.

“They are close by. We didn’t want to scare you by showing up all at once.”

“So you really are cousins?” Emma asked. She knew she should be scared, but for now she was out in public and felt quite brave.

“Yes, of course we are.”

“What do you want with me then?”

“We need your help Emma Posey. We need you to help us find something.”

“Put an ad in the paper if you need to find something. I don’t see how I can help with that.” Emma said shaking her blond head. She pushed her glasses up her nose in the familiar habit she had when nervous.

“It’s not something we can advertise for Emma.”

Suddenly he put two fingers up to his mouth and gave a loud whistle. Emma jumped in surprise as the whistle pierced her ears.

Robert Hawkins was surrounded by three large young men in seconds after he gave the whistle. Emma was surprised at how quickly they showed up, almost from thin air! Or so it seemed to her. She lifted her head and eyed the three newcomers. They silently looked back at her.

She saw a resemblance to Robert and didn’t doubt they were all related. Two had the same coloring as Robert, but lighter in tones. The third one was the biggest, with black hair and dark eyes. Emma could imagine him being the scariest. Yet, he was the first to smile at her.

With a gentle deep tone, the giant spoke.

“Hello Emma Posey. So glad to finally meet you.”

He held out a hand that was huge and Emma found herself placing her tiny hand in his. He gently shook it and smiled again. Emma felt at ease at once. There was something so old-fashioned and courtly about the young giant. He reminded her of Mr. Dickson in many ways.

Then her eyebrows lifted in question.

“To finally meet me?? Why do you say it that way?”

Robert answered instead of the giant.

“We’ve known about you for years Emma, that’s what John was referring to.”

“Known about me for years? Why? How?” Emma shot the questions out as fast as her mind asked them.

“We will answer all your questions in due time. Right now we need to move to a safer place.”

“Safer place? What is it that you want with me!? I’m not going anywhere until I get some answers!” Emma stated firmly.

“Emma we need your help in finding the ‘Dragon of Montrose’. If we don’t find it soon there will be more deaths!” Robert told her.

“Dragon? Montrose? What is that? How can I help? I don’t know what you are talking about!” Emma almost cried. Now she was frightened. More deaths, she thought. What deaths? Whose deaths?

Emma jumped to her feet, ready to run away from these four young men with their good looks, solemn faces and talk of deaths. She wanted to run away as fast as she could. They had the wrong person! She can’t be who they want!

Robert grabbed her hand before she could bolt. She looked into his earnest hazel eyes and saw the determination in them.

“Emma we need your help! We came a long ways to find you! It is written in our Book of Truths that a young woman would lead us to safety! That a young woman would find the Dragon and save our people! That woman is YOU Emma Posey!”