out of my end-of-the-world truck driver fantasies. ‘Jack, my parents. Our families. We can find out where they are. Remember what I told you, at the school?’
I think back to that moment on our middle-school roof, many months ago . . .
‘Of course! That too!’ I say. ‘I mean – that’s fantastic. Right? Obviously fantastic. Finding your parents. Good. Great.’
I look to Quint. He still has that odd smile on his face. ‘Quint, buddy. Who knows . . . You might get to see your family again.’
Quint exhales very slowly, then nods. The corner of his mouth is upturned in a cautious smile.
And again I feel that anxious, sweaty, pit-in-the-stomach feeling I had at the fire station, when we first discovered it was a radio making the noise.
My head starts spinning. Dirk and June are discussing the radio, and Quint is already sketching plans for how to boost the range. My friends’ voices swirl around me, and I feel sweat pouring down my forehead. I try to swallow, but my mouth is desert dry.
‘Guys, I just need a little fresh, um, what’s the word . . . Fresh cookies . . . ? Fresh breath? I mean . . . ah . . . fresh air, I think . . .’ My voice trails off as I step through the door, out onto the deck. It’s late autumn – or as I call it, ‘fancy fall’ – and the air is cool.
But my entire body is hot.
My heart is palpitating. I have a palpitating heart. And that’s a BAD KIND OF HEART!
Why? What’s happening?
Like – like, panic. Real panic. I’m freaking out. And I don’t know why!
My legs feel wobbly and useless. I need a cool drink. I’d kill for an ice-cold Capri Sun. I reach into our rainwater collector, scoop some water into my hands, and splash it on my face.
‘JACK!’ a monstrous voice suddenly bellows
I blink. Looking down, I see the monster Skaelka in the Town Square. Her shouting pulls me out of my panic. Skaelka was a vicious warrior in the monster dimension: scary savage and fiercely ferocious, from the stories we’ve heard.
‘Huh?’ I ask, my head still fuzzy. ‘Oh. No, no. We were just, um, celebrating. A few days ago, we – ah – we heard voices.’
Skaelka’s spinal-spikes flex – her sign of suspicion. ‘Voices! Inside your brain folds? Are you going insane? Should I put you down now by slicing off your head? I would be honoured to perform the dance of decapitation on you, Jack.’
‘No. No, no,’ I say. ‘No decapitation dancing desired. Thanks, though. I meant, we heard voices on a radio.’
‘Radio?’ Skaelka asks.
‘Um. It’s like a TV, but for sounds.’
Skaelka thinks this over for a moment. ‘Fine. Inform me if you require decapitation services. Or if you discover you are going insane,’ she says, and she clomps away, dragging her massive axe. I think, man, I’m really glad that barbaric looney-tune is on our side.
I take three deep breaths, then I step back into the tree house. My friends are already celebrating. June is cranking up the speakers on her ‘bomb sound system’ while Dirk shakes Sprite bottles and blasts soda around the tree house like we just won the World Series.
This radio changes everything.
Everyone joyous.
Everyone happy.
Everyone except for me.
And I think I know why.
If they get that radio really running – it won’t be long before they get in touch with other humans. And maybe even their families.
And what happens to me then?
I have no parents to go home to. I have no one waiting for me. Everything I have: it’s here.
I like our life here.
So I have only one choice.
I need to snatch that radio and SMASH IT AND DESTROY IT AND PREVENT MY FRIENDS FROM EVER LEAVING!
No, no.
Kidding. (Mostly.)
I need to show my friends that life here is so exceptionally, undeniably, crowd-pleasingly perfect that they’ll never want to leave! If I can show my friends endless fun, maybe they’ll just totally forget about the radio.
Maybe?
Hopefully?
There’s only one way to find out. By becoming . . .
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