Important: In this story, some of the characters, such as Dora Winifred Read, Alan "Brain" Powers, and other Arthur characters are Christians. There are elements used by Arthur's writers and Lemony Snicket that I admire, but I didn't want to compromise my beliefs. Also, the characters are human, and the story begins when D.W. is going into the third grade and Brain is going into the seventh grade. The letters are in chronological order.
Dedication: This story is dedicated to Swanwhite2 with whom I have a lot in common in the realm of taste in media, anyone who likes the D.W./Brain running gags, and anyone who finds Arthur to be as mysterious as Lemony Snicket.
AP to DWR #1: The Finished Fear
Camp Meadowcroak, 7th and 8th Grade Boys, Day 1
Dear D.W.,
Arthur told me that your family was going on vacation during the weeks of 7th and 8th Grade Boys' Camp. So I thought that this would be a good opportunity to write letters to you—after all, our houses are very close to each other. Where are you planning on going? If possible, please write me at least once during your vacation.
This year of camp has been different from my previous years at camp in many ways. For example, I just found out that the 7th through 12th graders take turns cleaning the restrooms and washing dishes. If I had to choose between washing dishes and eating camp food, I would choose washing dishes (ha-ha). Speaking of food, this is the first year that Camp Meadowcroak has had a snack shack. Can you guess what was the first food or beverage that I ordered? A Sarah Orange Soda, of course!
Here's the highlight of the day: ten of us campers—including me, Binky Barnes, George Nordgren, and Alex Stewart (Buster is spending the entire summer with his dad and Los Viejeros)—had an unofficial canoe race, and George and I won (isn't it strange how often George wins?). Water sports are so much fun! And to think that I've spent all that time worried over nothing (except perhaps a bacterial contamination in the pools of water parks, but that's beside the point.) My point is that that conversation you and Vicita Molina had during her 4th birthday at the Ice Cream Shop has changed my outlook on the necessity of the skill of swimming.
Well, that's all for now. Tell Arthur I said "hi."
Your Friend,
Alan Powers
(A/N: The full names that I decided to give to the two unnamed students in Mr. Ratburn's class are Jenny James and Alex Stewart. The first names, I think were the names given to those characters in the Arthur Chapter Books. I decided on the last names "James" and "Stewart" after the late James Stewart who played Elwood P. Dowd in the 1950 movie Harvey. I'm pretty sure that Elwood City was named after Elwood P. Dowd because Elwood's friend Harvey was a 6-foot tall anthropomorphic rabbit—both of the unnamed students are rabbits.)