Chuckie was now a teenager, thirteen years old. For his birthday he decided to go on another ski trip with his family and friends. He was determined to start his teen years with less cowardice, and figured that a good place to start would be to practice skiing.
They went to the same place they did before, the mountain resort. It was fun at first, they all went skiing played their Five Corners game, had a snowball fight, and various other activities. Well except for Angelica obviously, she stuck with the spa and other related recreations. This went on for a few days. About two days before it was time to leave, the gang got a new idea.
"How about tonight we go outside and observe nocturnal animals?" Kimi suggested.
"Sure, if it's okay with our parents." Lil agreed.
"Count me in. You want to come too Chuckie?" Tommy said.
"Well normally I'd refuse but I am trying to be braver so sure." Chuckie said, a little nervous but willing to join his friends. "I mean the dark can't hurt you."
"Right, and we'll take flashlights anyway so it should be fun." Kimi smiled.
"I'm game." Phil nodded.
They went to their parents, who were all relaxing in the resort's dining area. Angelica and Susie were there too, along with Dil. He wasn't at home sick because technically they were out on a birthday celebration, not a vacation.
"Mom, is it okay if we go out to observe nocturnal animals?" Tommy asked. "We'll bring flashlights."
"Well...I don't know, even with flashlights you could get lost." Didi hesitated. "And there are coyotes and other predators out there..."
"Come on Deed our pups know how to take care of themselves." Betty said.
"How about Susie joins them? That is, if she wants to go." Lucy, Susie's mom, suggested.
"Sure, sounds like fun." Susie smiled.
"Well, okay then." Didi agreed.
"Great, come on!" Kimi said excitedly, leaving the room.
Susie and the other Rugrats followed. They all went to their rooms to grab flashlights, bundled up in jackets, mittens/gloves, and hats, and headed outside.
It was a lot of fun, even though they didn't see many nocturnal animals. Most of them were scared off either by the glow of the flashlights or by hearing them coming. However, they were able to spot some owls, raccoons, and a colony of bats. They continued for another hour, but then Phil shivered.
"*Whew*, it's getting really cold out." He put his arms around himself to warm up.
"No kidding, we are at a ski resort." Lil smirked.
"Still, Phil has a point. We should head back before our moms start panicking about us catching pneumonia." Tommy joked.
The others chuckled and started to head back, when Chuckie stopped.
"Did you guys hear that?" He asked.
The others stopped.
"Hear what?" Susie asked.
"I thought I heard something move over there." Chuckie pointed diagonally behind them.
"It was probably just another nocturnal animal." Kimi shrugged.
But then, they all saw a dark figure starting to walk towards them.
"Looks more like a person to me." Lil said. "Maybe it's a traveler who got lost and needs a warm place to stay."
Just then, the dark figure picked up a really heavy branch and stepped into the moonlight. Susie and the Rugrats gasped, this guy was wide-eyed and had a crazy frown on his face! He also had messy hair and torn clothing.
"Kids..." He said in an abnormal voice. "I HATE KIDS!"
He charged at them with the heavy branch over his head like it was a club!
"That's no lost traveler that's a lunatic!" Susie gasped.
"Run!" Tommy ordered.
They all started to run back towards the resort, the lunatic following them and shouting random bad things about kids.
"For your information the two of us are teenagers!" Chuckie called back, pointing at himself and at Susie.
The lunatic showed no sign of hearing Chuckie.
"I don't think he has enough sense left to understand that." Phil muttered.
Meanwhile, back at the resort Angelica and the adults were now in the lounge drinking hot cocoa. Dil was already in bed. The radio was playing classical music, the kind that wasn't too energetic yet also didn't put you to sleep right away. Suddenly, the music stopped.
"We interrupt this program to bring you an urgent message." The voice on the radio said. "A kid-hating lunatic has escaped from NutBox Asylum. He was last seen near Holm Oak Mountain. Parents please keep their kids locked inside at night. If you see a crazy looking guy call the authorities right away."
"Holm Oak Mountain!" Chaz gasped. "That's where we are!"
"THE KIDS!" All the adults cried out before rushing outside; Angelica followed.
Susie, and the Rugrats had a great head-start, and it looked as if they were going to make it back to the resort in time. Unfortunately, Kimi suddenly tripped! Her cry of pain alerted the others.
"Kimi!" Chuckie gasped.
The lunatic stopped and raised his branch at Kimi! Chuckie tried to run to Kimi's rescue, but Tommy beat him to it...by actually pouncing on the lunatic with an angry cry! Chuckie stopped and he, Susie, Phil, and Lil stared, beyond shocked. Tommy was actually fighting the lunatic, trying to take his branch away! They had never seen Tommy act like that before.
Around the same time, the adults reached where Susie and the Rugrats were. They saw Tommy fighting for Kimi's safety, and also stared at the scene. Chaz, Kira, and Chuckie then went over to Kimi and helped her up.
"Are you okay Kimi-chan?" Kira asked.
"I believe so, except I think I sprained my ankle." Kimi said, resting her injured leg by only standing on the toes part.
For a moment, it looked as if Tommy was going to win, but then the lunatic tossed Tommy off! Tommy hit his head on a rock and fell to the ground unconscious! Susie, Angelica, the adults, and the other Rugrats gasped! The lunatic was now going to hit Tommy with the branch! But then, Kimi suddenly rushed towards Tommy and the lunatic and knocked him out with a different branch that she picked up nearby! Kimi then collapsed to the ground; she was so determined to save Tommy that she temporarily forgot about her ankle.
Everyone rushed to them. Didi and Stu picked up Tommy and carried him towards the resort. Chaz and Kira supported Kimi so that she could get medical treatment at the resort too. Chuckie followed them. Lucy, Randall, Howard, and Drew walked Phil, Lil, Angelica, and Susie back while Charlotte called the authorities on her cellphone. Betty stayed, holding the two branches in her hand just in case the lunatic might wake up. He didn't, he stayed knocked out until the authorities arrived. They put the lunatic in a straightjacket and transported him back to the Asylum. Charlotte and Betty then headed back to the resort.
Tommy didn't have that bad a bump, so he was just put into his bed with an ice pack on his head. Kimi had to get her ankle put in a slight cast. Other than that, there were no casualties.
