"Excuse me, sir. Can I ask you a question?" Jaz asked.

The man stopped petting his dog and said, "Uh, yes?"

The girl tugging on his shirt asked, "Who are you?"

Jaz looked over her notes.

Joseph described his sister as a blonde haired eight-year-old girl. She had straight hair in dutch braids tied with a red ribbon, as well as light brown eyes. However, the girl in front of Jaz looked much older, had black hair in an updo, and had grey eyes.

"Oh. Could you possibly know where a girl named Jocelyn lives?" Jaz asked.

The man frowned and said. "Are you a friend of hers?"

Jaz nodded.

"Ah, well you might want to check the playground. It's not far from the lake. By the way, are you cold?" He asked.

The girl stared down at Jaz and was about to reach for her mask, but Jaz coughed loudly.

"It's not even cold out. Are you truly ill?" The girl said, moving back.

"Yes, very much so. Thanks for the help, sir, and it was nice meeting you two." Jaz said.

Suddenly, she was pulled back by a gloved hand.

"What do you think you're doing bothering these people?" Ciel asked.

Jaz leaned in closer to Ciel and whispered. "I'm sorry, but I can't face Lord Barrymore. Not after what happened. So I asked about a playground nearby. I'll be visiting with the one friend I made here before things soured. If that's okay with you, of course."

"Gormlaith, there is no need to be afraid. And aren't you well suited for combat?"

"I think it would just be unpleasant to see him again."

"No matter what happens, I will protect you."

She smiled. "That's kind of you, but please...don't make me face that man again, Sir Ciel."

He sighed. "If that is what you wish, but I'm sending Sebastian for you when I need you. Take care to not get yourself in any trouble, understand?"

She curtsied and remained with the man, the older girl, and their dog. Ciel returned to the carriage and Sebastian took off to Lord Barrymore's manor.

When the carriage was far enough away, Jaz walked the back road towards the lake. It was a rather large body of water for a lake, but with the cloudy skies and muggy water, it wasn't tempting to swim in.

Ace popped out of her knapsack and asked, "Nice going fooling Ol' One Eye, but who are we staying with for the night? I for darn sure ain't setting foot anywhere near that crazy fat guy."

"If Jocelyn is here, she may have been taken in by someone. I'm hoping I can bring her back and possibly stay with whoever was taking care of her."

"So you don't know? Man, I hope we ain't sleeping on the ground tonight. How long we gonna be here anyway?" He asked.

"As long as Sir Ciel needs to convince Sir Barrymore to stop allowing dog fights." She said.

"So you don't got a backup plan? You know, in case this don't work out?"

"What do you mean?"

"Things have a way of not going the way we want it, Jazzy." He said.

"Well, you have a point. I'll just have to improvise like always, I guess." She said.

She searched around for the alleged playground. It took a few minutes, but she could spot a swing and merry go round in the distance. She hurried towards it, and when she got there, there were a ridiculous amount of children around, playing on swings, climbing up ladders, riding merry-go-rounds, chasing each other, and waiting for a ride on the rocking horses.

"Where's the jungle gyms and slides?" Ace asked.

"More playground rides wouldn't be invented until 1922. They're lucky to have ladders, honestly." Jaz said.

A boy walked up to her and said, "Oy, you wanna play a game?"

She smiled and said, "Me? You want to play with me? Okay. What?"

"We're playing hide and seek. I'm it. Come on." He said.

He guided her over to the circle of children around a tree. This tree had dog collars on it too, but there was evidence that children placed ribbons, marbles, and hoops around the tree as well.

"You know how to play, right?" The boy asked.

"Yes I think, but could you go over the rules?" Jaz asked.

"Okay. I'll count to ten, then all of you hide."

The boy leaned against the tree, covered his eyes and began to count to ten. Every child scrambled to find a hiding place! Jaz couldn't decide between the bushes or the behind another tree. She hurried behind a tree, however….there was already a boy hiding there.

He shooed Jaz saying, "Go away, this is my hiding spot!"

Jaz ducked and rolled into a spiky bush. Which was unmeasurably itchy and scratchy. She was prepared to bear through it, but bumped into another child, this time a girl. The girl scratched her arms and legs, excessively.

"Dear god!" The girl whispered.

Jaz scratched her hands, the only exposed area of her body.

"It's bad, right? It might be poisonous ivy." Jaz whispered.

"You think?" The girl said, sarcastically. "Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Jazmint, but people just call me Jaz. Who are you?"

"I'm Josie. But my parents used to call me Jocelyn. Are you new to the village?"

Jaz gasped. "Yes...are you really Sir Joseph's sister?"

Jocelyn hesitated to answer but eventually said yes. "Why? Are you going to mock me too?"

"Why would I do that?" Jaz asked.

The other girl snorted and said, "You must be telling a joke."

Jaz remained silent, staring at the girl with a bewildered look on her face.

Jocelyn continued, "Well it's not funny. Now go away!"

"B-but there's nowhere else to hide." Jaz said.

"I don't care. I'm not even playing with you."

"What? Then why are you hiding here?"

She sneered at Jaz and shoved her. "Mind your own business, freak!"

Jaz was pushed outside the bush, and the boy ran up to her to pat her.

"Haha! You're it!" He said.

"You already found everyone else?"

"Yes. Not many places to hide, you know."

Jaz sighed. I hate being it.

She walked back over to the tree, closed her eyes, and counted to ten. When she opened her eyes, the children were gone. She searched every inch of the playground and nearby forest, but found no one. Then she came back to the playground area. The children were back to playing on the rides.

She walked up to the boy and asked, "Hey! I thought we were playing hide and seek."

"You took much too long, girly."

"But where was everybody?"

"At the beach, of course!"

Jaz pouted and said, "Well I guess it was fun playing with you guys. See you later."

She walked back towards the bush Jocelyn hid in, but the girl was gone!

"W-what? Where is she?"

"Great. Just when we find her, she disappears!" Ace said.