Image Credit: Mystery Fiction Class

Readers eagerly await the next installment from Mrs. Langenwalter’s Mystery Fiction class.

It’s a scorching hot, California heat-wave day. The Mass for Rosary Day has just concluded and students are rushing to classrooms to change for their day at Disneyland. Over the loudspeaker, a sinister voice is heard saying, “Students, please report to the bus assigned by last name and class.” Though students are curious and skeptical of the voice that they’ve just heard, they head to their buses anyway that are separated by class and last name. Despite the skepticism, excitement fills the buses and as the students head down Harbor Boulevard, imagining the day ahead of them. But once they arrive at the gates of Disneyland, ready to join the magic, they realize one bus didn’t make it, and seems to be missing!

Ava Barretto hops off the junior bus looking for McKinley, only to realize that the presumed missing bus must be the one with the seniors in it as McKinley is nowhere to be found. Ava, with her expertise from her Mystery in Fiction class, puts on her investigator hat and coat, and is ready to solve the case of the missing bus. Ava decides that her first order of business is to text McKinley, curious to see if this phone-addicted senior will reply.Ava and McKinley are a dynamic duo in the Mystery in Fiction class, so Ava knows that McKinley will know how to help. To Ava’s fear, McKinley responds to her text with a singular word- “HELP” and her phone goes offline.

Ava’s head fills with worry as she stares down at the message. As she walks into the park with the rest of the school, she notices a parade passing by and can’t help but wonder why the masked characters seem so lifeless. As Ava pauses to watch the parade she notices that all the characters are wearing rings, similar to hers. Even more suspicious, Sorcerer Mickey is munching on Cheez-its and could not be bothered to wave to the children. Cheez-it crumbs litter the streets of Main Street USA, creating a trail of bright orange. To finalize Ava’s suspicion, she notices that as the performers go by they don’t seem to be waving, but instead signaling for help.

While Ava paces and ponders a question lingers about, “Why has Mickey got cheezy Cheez-It fingers?” Following the trail of littered Cheez-Its she comes to Walt’s apartment door. She knocks four times when the door eerily opens, a cold breeze passing through her brunette curls. A chill trickles down her back as she sees a man tied to Walt’s famous chair by the desk where he created Steamboat Willie. The Cheez-It box was covering the man’s face. As Ava moved closer, turning the chair around and removing the box off his head, Mr. Bevins was found with a fistfull of Cheez-Its stuffed in his mouth. Spitting out the Cheez-Its and gasping for air Mr. Bevins yells, “Please, please it’s not me I swear! I hate Cheez-its! When have you ever seen me eat them!?” Conjuring up the courage, Ava questioned him with a stern voice, “Well if it wasn’t you dressed as Mickey, then who was it?”

With the seniors still missing and with the suspect at large, Ava needed to solve the case–and fast, before the park closed. Ava exits Walt’s apartment and returns to Main Street USA where the second performance of the parade is about to commence. Ava notices that Princess Jasmine bears a startling resemblance to McKinley, but her demeanor has changed from the previous parade and now appears to be enjoying herself. However, the same could not be said about Princess Aurora who looks similar to DimiAna, but seems to be signaling for help on a larger scale than before. Sensing the panic, Ava turns toward the crowd and suddenly spots Ms. Barclay standing near her and watching the parade. Ava approaches her and asks, “I am looking for the seniors, do you know where they are?”. Ms. Barclay responds with a quick, “Nope, haven’t seen them” and quickly walks away. Ava, suspecting a lie, follows closely behind Ms. Barclay who whispers “Cheez-Its sound really good right now”. Now knowing that somehow Barclay must be linked to all of this, Ava follows her to the back lot.

As Detective Ava arrives at the hidden part of Disneyland, she witnesses Ms. Barclay, forcing Izzy Walker to wear a Goofy costume! Ms. Barclay says, “You better put this on or else!” Ava runs in, making sure to record the unbelievable sight, and says “AHA! I have proof that you kidnapped the seniors!” Ms. Barclay says, “If you show this to anyone I’ll feed you to my pug!” Ms. Barclay then takes out her sorcerer wand and tries to take Ava’s phone, but the rest of the senior class jumps out and tackles Ms. Barclay! With the suspect vulnerable, Ava ties Ms. Barclay to a chair, ready to question her: “Why? Why would you do such a thing? And on Rosary day?” Ms. Barclay hangs her head for a minute. She looks up with loathing in her eyes and exclaims, “Because I hate Disneyland! It’s the worst and most disgusting place on earth! If I can’t have fun, then why should anyone else?!” Understanding Barclay’s motive, Ava turns to the seniors saying, “Barclay’s reign of terror is over. You are all free to go and enjoy the rest of your day.” The seniors cheer for joy as they rip off their costumes. As the girls rush to It’s a Small World together, Ava notices McKinley hasn’t changed yet. Ava goes up to her curiously. “Is everything alright McKinley? Aren’t you glad that you are freed?” Ava asks as she consults her. “Yeah, I’m fine,” McKinley replies, “I just really wanted to be a princess.” Ava laughs as she and McKinley go join the rest of their friends.

Epilogue

As her punishment, Ms. Barclay is strapped to the boats of It’s a Small World and is forced to listen to the cheery song for the rest of the night. The End.