Crackerjack45: Neither characters nor poems (except Numbuh 5's really lame one I made up myself) are mine. Poems belong to Shel Silverstein and KND belongs to Mr. Warburton-but you already knew that, didn't you?
Sector V decided to have a campfire outside. Oh what fun! They were all excited about it. But unfortunately for Numbuh 3 and Numbuh 2 (and pretty much the rest of them), Mushi and Tommy tagged along. They packed marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, sticks, matches and wood. Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 5 were first there and they set up the fire. Then Numbuh 2 and Tommy came while Tommy was talking about whatever. Then Numbuh 3 and Mushi. Numbuh 4 came last holding a bag.
"Where do we sit?" Tommy asked.
"The ground," Numbuh 1 answered.
"But we'll get dirty!" Mushi shrieked.
"So? A little dirt won't hurt ya," Numbuh 4 told her sitting down. Mushi was happy to see him and rushed over giving him a hug, which nearly knocked him over. "Hey!" He pushed her away and she sat down right next to him. Numbuh 3 sat on his other side eyeing Mushi. After Numbuh 2 told Tommy to sit next to someone who was his own age, he took a seat next to Numbuh 3. Numbuh 5 sat next to Numbuh 2 (directly across from Numbuh 4); Numbuh 1 sat next to Numbuh 5 and Tommy sat next to Numbuh 1 and Mushi.
"Do we have any smores?" Numbuh 3 asked excitedly.
"Right here," Numbuh 5 told her standing up and going behind Numbuh 4 and grabbing a bag of marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers then giving everyone a stick. Everyone had at least two smores (except Numbuh 2 and Numbuh 4 who had a competition on who could eat the most. Numbuh 2 won by eating ten and Numbuh 4 only eating eight.) Then they sat quietly for a while roasting marshmallows.
Numbuh 4 looked at everyone and said, "Hey do you guys wanna hear a poem?" They all nodded.
"Wally's a poet? How cute!" Mushi exclaimed.
"Shut up I didn't write it."
"Yeah," Numbuh 5 added. "He can't even spell his own name let alone write a poem!" Everyone besides Numbuh 4 burst out laughing.
Numbuh 3 calmed down a bit and gave Numbuh 4 a hug. "Aw, guys don't be so mean! I think it's nice that Wally likes poems!"
Numbuh 4's cheeks turned red and he looked at her disgusted. "Yeah. I would like to tell you this poem. But I can't if you're still hugging me!" "Oops! Sorry!" She said letting him go and blushing. The others started laughing again.
"I can't say it either if you're laughin'!" They stopped almost instantly. All except Numbuh 2 until Numbuh 5 elbowed him really hard in the ribs. "Okay here it is…
'I dare you all to go into
The Haunted House on Howlin' Hill,
Where squiggly things with yellow eyes
Peek past the wormy windowsill.
We'll creep into the moonlight yard,
Where weeds reach out like fingers,
And through the rotted old front door
A-squeakin' on its hinges,
Down the dark and whisperin' hall,
Past the musty study,
Up the windin' staircase—
Don't step on the step that's bloody-- Through the secret panel
To the bedroom where we'll slide in
To the ragged cobweb dusty bed
Ten people must have died in.
And the bats will screech,
And the spirits will scream,
And the thunder will crash
Like a horrible dream,
And we'll sing with the zombies
And dance with the dead,
And howl at the ghost
With the axe in his head…."
Everyone seemed to be afraid of the poem-all except Numbuh 5.
She rolled her eyes and finished it for him, " And—come to think of it what do you say
We go get some ice cream instead?"
"I like Abby's idea," Tommy said.
"No, it's a poem," Numbuh 5 explained. "By Shel Silverstein. Numbuh 5 has his book and one day Numbuh 4 was readin' over her shoulder and saw this poem. Numbuh 5 read it to him until he memorized it by heart." Numbuh 4 looked at the ground disappointed and upset that he was caught. "Come to think of it…." Numbuh 5's voice trailed off. She darted off to behind Numbuh 4 and bent down. She jolted up holding a book. "Aha! Numbuh 5 knew she saw somethin' strange when she got the smores!"
"…crud…"
Numbuh 5 sat back down and skimmed through the pages. "We'll have a talk later about you stealin' my book Numbuh 4." He gave her an angry look. One reason was because that's just who he was. Another was because she sounded like his mother.
"Are all of them scary?" Numbuh 3 asked.
"Nah. There's nice ones like…oh here's one!
There is a voice inside of you
That whispers all day long,
'I feel that this is right for me,
I know that this is wrong.'
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend
Or wise man can decide
What's right for you-just listen to
The voice that speaks inside."
"Ooh. I like that one." Numbuh 3 said.
"Hey can I read one?" Numbuh 2 asked.
"Oh me too!" Tommy shouted.
"Then me!"
"Oh I wanna read one too!" Everyone took turns reading a poem and they all laughed. They read the end of the book until they could barley keep their eyes open and they were out of breath from laughing so hard.
Numbuh 5 whispered one last poem to everyone that she made herself. "It is time to say good-night. I say to you all, 'Sleep tight.' No more play; it is the end of the day. I wish for more fun, but the night has begun. I will see you when I wake, have sweet dreams for all our sake." Then she laid down and shut her eyes, then drifted off to sleep.