Mina nervously sat at the client desk with Winona. An interested Trudy sat between them, eating a complimentary crepescargo she had received from Les Schargo's as an apology for the framing. "I'm super, super sorry," Mina mumbled beneath her breath. "I didn't mean to punish you with an inconsiderate pun at your time of loss."

"Ummm," Trudy said, a pair of wide eyes behind her glasses. "You just did it again."

Mina facepalmed. "Ugh...I deserve to be punished myself."

Winona calmly stretched her hands and smiled. "Relax, Mina. Death and decay will punish you much better than I ever will. I just want you to help me find Chet!"

"Er...thanks... Winona," said Mina, feeling somewhat relieved but also scared of the endless degradation of time. "But I'm a lawyer apprentice, not a private investigator!"

Winona gave a knowing smile as she raised her eyebrows. "Yes, but since you're my friend, you'll do that for free and I won't have to spend my makeup cash on a PI!"

Trudy bit off a mouthful of crepescargo. "Though Winona, with your choice of gloomy pastels and paints, it's more like make-down!"

"Hey..." Winona said, flashing a dark glare at Trudy who buried her face in her crepe. "Actually, I kind of like that. Make-up that brings everyone down."

"As much as I love to talk about beauty products," Mina said, pressing her fingers together. "I do think we should concentrate on the matter at hand. Do I want to help you find Chet? Personally, I consider his disappearance a blessing in disguise, but if you insist."

"I do..." Winona said and her raccoon like eyes gazed fondly into space. "Deep down, inside Chet, is a musical genius and a bohemian artist deeply in touch with his inner self. He is a beautiful old soul that made my blackened heart beat and thump deep in my chest....oh and....also"

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Suddenly, Mina's eyes opened wide. A voice reverberated in her mind. It was a friendly, kind and rather bodacious voice. "Mina, dudette, my number one summertime gal, we go down as well as a pickles and mayo on a rad sandwich. You're totally baberooni!"

Before Mina's eyes flashed a young man with a blond mullet, golden tan skin and a floral tanktop and bathing trunks. He grinned a sparkling grin and gave her a thumbs up before disappearing in a blinding flash.

"Chad..." she sighed with misty eyes.

"Mina..." Winona asked, jostling her friend who had begun to wipe her moistened eyes.

"I'll do it!" Mina exclaimed, almost in tears. "You can't lose your beau! I won't go through that again!"

"Good," Winona quipped. "Aside from all that mushy lovey-dovey crap, I know Chet's parents would totally take me to court if he disappeared while we were living together! They've always thought I was a black widow."

Trudy slurped a chocolate shakescargo and placed it on the table. "You're not a black widow, Winona. You just like spider print!"

"Gotheriffic!" Winona smirked. "Now let's get down to Le Coffee Shoppe. That was the last place I saw him."

Trudy and Winona stood up together, ready to leave.

"Mina?" Winona asked. "Are you coming?"

"In a second," Mina said, a solemn expression on her face. "Just need to do something first. You go on."

"I'll start the car!" Winona said and excitedly pulled out her keys. "I call it my Siouxsiac, Goth Prix!

Mina's two friends headed down the stairs to the drive way. Mina stayed behind and walked over to her desk. There were still tears in her eyes.

In a photo beside her family photo, Mina stood bright eyed in a pink tank-top and black running shorts. Her long brunette hair glowed and glistened brightly in the sun as it blew in the wind. A taller, and very handsome young man had his hands around her. He sported the same blond mullet, tanned skin and surfing attire of the boy in her dreams. She reached out to touch the photo of the couple in a sun bleached backdrop.

"Never again will I let this happen, Chad. Never ever again."

She took one more glance, let out a breath of air and walked towards the door.