To Curious Heights

by Sean McGowan

Chapter 15:

  To Curious Heights

  The sun rose as the yacht tore through the lake. Samson stood at the helm and steered as the others sat around the back deck. Doug played with Winston’s Gamebu while Winston sat with colonel Seward’s laptop on his lap.

  Winston scribbled a few lines onto a piece of paper he had laid over the laptop, then stopped writing. “Okay... All done!” He opened the laptop and closed the paper inside.

  “You got everything down there?” asked Harold.

  “Yup!” Winston nodded. “The coordinates to the island and all that. They’ll have everything they need to go find those guys and toss ‘em in the slammer!... Or whatever it is they do with delinquents like them.”

  “Well, whatever they do,” said Wayne, “I hope it will put an end to The Order of the Bull.”

  “One would hope,” said Doug.

  Samson yelled as the boat approached the shore. “Land ho!!!” He crashed the boat onto the beach, nearly knocking it over.

  The boys carried their bags as they walked ashore.

  “Thanks for the smooth landing, Samson,” said Doug, rubbing his neck.

  Samson Smiled. “Oh, you’re welcome!”

  As the boys stepped onto the grass, Harold dropped his backpack and looked up at the cluster of trees atop the long, sloping hill before him. “I hope they haven’t left yet.”

  “Only one way to find out,” said Wayne.

  Harold took a deep breath. “Alright...” He took a step forward.

  “Hey, not that any of us can tell,” said Winston,” but you probably smell like garbage.”

  “What?!” Harold stopped, frustrated.

  “Hold on, Harold.” Samson reached into his backpack and pulled out a can of deodorant spray. “Here you go!”

  “Oh, good call!” Harold took the deodorant, sprayed it all over himself, and handed it back to Samson. “Thanks!”

  Doug pushed Harold on. “Alright, get going! We’ll be here when you get back.”

  “Okay...” Harold nodded with determination, then ran up the hill and into the trees.

  Harold soon stepped out of the trees and into Sally’s back yard. He looked around. It was completely barren. Even the fountain in the center of the yard was turned off. Harold started breathing heavily as his heart pounded. He ran to the back glass slide door and peered in. All areas of the house that he could see were empty. He ran around to the front and rang the doorbell... No response.

  Feeling cold as stone, Harold walked back around the house. He lumbered slowly towards the fountain, when he lowered his head and saw it... The kite he had made for Sally lay alone in the grass. It suddenly felt like an invisible cannonball hit him in the chest.

  Harold cringed as he picked the kite up from the ground. He then walked over and sat on the wall of the fountain. Closing his eyes, Harold hung his head in a long, dark moment of silence. His throat swelled and tears began to well up, when suddenly....

  A car door slammed around front. Harold opened his eyes and lifted his head, then heard Sally’s voice.

  “I think I left it in the back yard,” said Sally “I’ll be right back.” She walked into the back yard from the side of the house. Her eyes scanned the area, then she spotted Harold and gasped. “Harold?!”

  “Hi, Sally.” Harold’s muscles began to loosen. “Sorry I’m late.”

  Sally started walking towards Harold. “I thought I wasn’t gonna see you before I left. Your parents said you were staying at camp an extra week.”

  “Yeah, well... That wasn’t quite true.”

  “Oh...”

  “I wouldn’t back out on a promise.”

  Sally stopped in front of Harold. “So what really happened?”

  “It’s a long story... It’s been a long week. Maybe I’ll tell you about it in a letter.”

  Sally nodded. “Okay.”

  “So you’re on your way out, I take it?”

  Sally gave a faint smile. “How could you tell?”

  Harold looked around the barren yard. “Just a hunch.”

  “We just swung back because I forgot something.” Sally looked down at the kite.

  Harold smiled and handed his gift to her.

  “I don’t know how it happened because this was my favorite birthday present.” Sally smiled as she ran her hand over the kite. “Reminds me of old times.”

  “Yeah... That was the idea.”

  Sally set the kite on the fountain wall and sat down next to Harold.

  Harold looked up at the clouds. “So, Nepal, huh?”

  “Yep. Where we’re going is up in the mountains. It’s supposed to be a lot different from here. But it should be a good challenge.”

  “I think you’ll do great there.”

  “Thanks, Harold. Do you think you’re ready for middle school?”

  “Let’s not get carried away.”

  They both chuckled. Another minute passed as they sat in silence.

  “Well...” Harold stood up. “I could sit here forever, but your family’s waiting on you...”

  Sally stood up and looked solemnly at the ground. “Yeah...”

  “I’ll keep in touch with you over the next three years and tell you how life is going,” said Harold

  “I’d appreciate that.” Sally grabbed Harold and hugged him tightly. “I’m gonna miss you.”

  Harold clutched Sally and patted her on the back. “I’m gonna miss you, too.” While they hugged, Harold reached his hand up and wiped his watery eyes. A few seconds later, the two separated and forced smiles.

  Sally picked up the kite and glanced at Harold. “Goodbye, Harold.”

  “Bye, Sally.”

  They both nodded and went their separate ways.

  Harold took a few steps, then stopped and called back to Sally. “Oh, Sally...”

  Sally stopped and looked back. “Yeah, Harold?”

  “One more thing...”

  “What’s that?”

  Harold paused for a moment, and then spoke. “Take care of your dad for me.” He winked. “He’ll need it!”

  Sally laughed and nodded. “Alright, Harold.” At that, she turned and walked around the house and out of Harold’s sight.

  Harold heard the car door slam and the car drive off. He then walked out of the back yard and into the trees. It was here that he found Wayne kneeling and peeking behind a tree. “Wayne?”

  Wayne stood up. “Sorry, Harold. I was being a bit nosy.”

  Harold laughed. “No worries, Wayne... Did I do okay?”

  “You were marvelous.”

  “Thanks, buddy.” Harold smiled.

  Wayne looked concerned. “Are you gonna be all right?”

  Harold nodded. “I think will...” He put his arm around Wayne’s shoulder. “Especially since I’ll have my good pal Wayne Frankenstein to take care of me.”

  Wayne smiled as they both stepped out of the trees and saw Doug, Winston, and Samson waiting at the bottom of the hill.

  Harold pointed at the others as he and Wayne stopped. “And I’ll have these clowns too.”

  “Yep.” Wayne nodded. “Guess they haven’t deserted us yet.”

  Harold looked at Wayne and grinned. He leaned into a running stance. “Last one there’s a Rotten Gregg!!!” He took off in a sprint down the hill and Wayne chased after him.

  Harold, Wayne, Doug, Winston, and Samson stood at the end of a walkway which led to the front door of a big house on the end of a cul-de-sac.

  “So this is the house?” asked Harold.

  “Yup.” Winston nodded. “This is the one.”

  “Okay then...” Harold walked up to the door and placed Colonel Seward’s laptop on the doorstep. He rang the doorbell and ran back to the sidewalk.

  The door opened and a tall middle-aged man poked his head out. He looked down at the laptop and gasped. He picked up the computer and looked to his left, where he saw five boys walking away down the street... Or were they men? He wasn’t wearing his glasses, so it was hard to t
ell.