Part 3: Gone in a Flash

Update 3: Gone in a Flash



The sound of the school bell rings out.





: Oh...hello, Mr. Twombly.
: "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may..." Now, what's the next line?

Jack Twombly has a penchant for weird time-based quizzes, just like Ethan's watch fetish.



I'm showing off both answers since it's pretty easy in this case, but let me know if you want Ethan to look smart or not for the future. I may still show off both answers if it's relatively convenient.

*Old Time is still a-flying*


: Er, okay...Guess I'll be going, then.
: Have a safe trip home.

*Anything else*
: Come on! It's "Old Time is still a-flying"
: You won't be young forever, you know. Relish it while you can!
: Y-yes, sir... Guess I'll be going, then.
: Have a safe trip home.

Jack leaves.

: (Back to the same old, same old... Why would Mom and Dad be the only ones to disappear?)
: (But if I use the Hollow Pen...)
: (Wait a second--when exactly does the Pen start glowing, anyway?)



Ashley: Ethaaan!



Appearance of the girls.

: Hey, Ethan! How'd you like that present, eh?
: Huh? Oh...it was great. I put it in my room and everything.

I'm just imagining Ethan sounding utterly unenthusiastic here.

: Y-you mean it!?
: I'm glad you like it...
: Did you hear that, Emily? And you're the one who picked it out!
: W-well, you were with me...



: Oh, what do you care!
: We're talking about my present.
: Ethan! Shh!

You're a day too late there, Ashley.

: Oh, that...
: Can't believe these two saved up their pennies to buy a present for the likes of you.
: It's our money--we can spend it any way we want.
: Why don't you spend your money on a new cellphone, since you lost yours yesterday, you klutz?
: Huh? You mean you still haven't found your phone yet?
: Yeah, um...not yet... not that you need to keep bugging me about it, VIN...
: Listen, Ethan, if you find her phone, pick it up, would ya?
: It's pink and it has this gigantic pig hanging off of it.
: Hey, that's not a pig. It's so obviously a dog, duh!
: It's a pig!
: It's a DOG! D-O-G dog!!
: Um, Ashley...
: (Save the sibling squabbles for home, guys...)

There's the sound of something changing in the background.



===



===





: !? Hey! Vin! Where'd you go? Ashley? Emily...?
???: Ethaaan!



: Why are you just standing around? Gimme a hand already!
: W-with what?
: With the search, obviously...
: Search? Who's missing?
: Gah! You're so dense, Ethan! We're searching for Ashley!
: What!? But she was just here a second ago...



: She's been gone for two days. Now there's a missing-persons report out on her.
: Man, why does this stuff have to hit so close to home?
: C'mon, Ethan--get to work! Leave no stone unturned, you hear me?
: Y-you got it...
: I'll go check the station area. You cover the school. And if Morris is still in one of the classrooms, get him to start looking, too.
: Roger.

Ben runs off.

: (This is a lot like when Mom and Dad disappeared...)
: (Or is it...the same thing?)
: (I'm stuck in the middle of some very strange stuff...)

Here's our flashback of the day.






Next time: We begin our search. Feel free to dump speculations, suggestions on where to go, etc.