It was Friday, October 13th.
Friday the 13th.
The day of bad luck.
And now, the day of a few tragic deaths.
It was 7:55, Gerald, Arnold, Phoebe, Helga, and Harold were at the pier, waiting for Eugene and Curly.
"Sheesh, where are they?" Helga muttered.
"It's only five to eight, Helga, I'm sure they'll be here soon." Arnold reasoned.
"Whatever, football head.
When he looked away, she couldn't help but steal a glance at him, her face slowly softening. There was just something about looking at her beloved that made her feel so much better. Especially these days. Despite the anxiety running up within her about all this, as well as other aspects, she always felt so calm and relaxed when she looked at him. The way his golden hair seemed to come off as an angelic halo along his oblong head, his soft, gentle green eyes, and his lips, oh, those addicting lips she longed to kiss anytime she looked at them. His mouth was amazing. He could stretch those lips into a smile practically a foot long, and then close them into a tiny, perfect "o".
Arnold felt that he was being watched, and looked up at Helga with curiosity. He smiled a little as she blushed and looked away from him, immediately scowling. With the darkening twilight around them, she looked...different in this light. Pretty even.
Wait, what? Did I just think that Helga looked pretty? He thought, bewildered.
"Hey guys! We're sorry we're late." Eugene called as he and Curly came running. But then Eugene tripped over an upraised plank of wood and fell over onto his stomach. "I'm okay!"
"WE have arrived!" Curly declared, smoothing his hair. "So then folks, how do you propose we get to this island?"
Crystalline Island was about 20 minutes off the mainland, just northeast of Elk Island.
"I was thinking we could ask Sheena's Uncle Earl." Arnold said.
"Arrgh." Said Captain Earl from his boat. "Where do ye kids be goin' off to this cursed night?"
"We wanted to go to Crystalline Island." Arnold explained.
"Yarrrgh, crazy dang kids...ye best be knowin' that there island be haunted...'specially on this here night, Friday the 13th and all, yarrgh." The seasalt said, shaking his head.
"You heard him, Quint." Helga said, scowling. "Now are you going to take us there or not?"
"How much do you want?" Arnold then said, trying to reason.
"Yarrgh, it'll be costin' ya two-fifty. 'Specially with that there lardy landlover." Said Captain Earl, tossing a toothpick from his mouth.
Arnold sighed a little, and reached into his pockets to pull out some money. He only had a dollar and a few pennies and nickels. Looking to the others for help, the other kids dug into their pockets. Curly had a quarter, Gerald had fifty cents in dimes, Phoebe had thirty-two cents, Helga had seventy-five cents, Eugene had a dime, and Harold had six pennies and two quarters. Two dollars and sixty-three cents total.
"Here you go, you can keep the change." Arnold said, giving Captain Earl the money all put together.
"Ye kids still be crazy..." Captain Earl said, taking the money and putting it away.
The kids all then slowly climbed into the boat, even Harold, who was shaking in fear. Eugene and Curly sat on opposite sides of the Captain, Gerald and Phoebe sat together across from Arnold, who sat next to Helga, and Harold sat in the back behind Arnold and Helga, shivering in his jacket. Captain Earl undid the rope around the pier post, started the engine, and pretty soon they were sailing off into the oncoming darkness of the night.
--
Everyone was pretty quiet, as the surrounding areas of the wharfs around also became dead silent. A faint cry of a loon was heard somewhere off. As it got darker, the Captain turned on a small headlight at the front of the boat.
"Farewell and adieu to ye fair Spanish ladies...
Farewell and adieu, dear ladies of Spain!
For we've received orders to sail back to Boston
And nevermore shall we see you again!" The seasalt sang.
"Put a sock in it, Quint!" Helga snapped.
"Actually Helga, this is kind of fun!" Eugene said enthusiastically. "Okay, how does that song go again....?"
"Show me the way to go home
I'm tired and I want to go bed..." Curly sang, tapping his knees.
"I had a little drink about an hour ago
And it's gone right to my head
Wherever I may roam
By land or sea or foam
You can always hear me singin' this song." Everyone but Arnold and Helga joined in singing. The latter pair just exchanged weirded out glances.
"I think they watched Jaws one too many times." Arnold remarked in a whisper to Helga.
"For once, I agree with you." Helga whispered back.
"Boom boom boom
Show me the way go home
Boom boom
I'm tired and I want to go to bed
I had a little drink about an hour ago
And it's gone right to my head
Boom boom
Wherever I may roam, by land or sea or foam
You can always hear me singin' this song!"
"Shh!" Helga suddenly said, tense. "Guys, be quiet already!"
"What's wrong?" Phoebe asked as they all stopped singing.
"Oh my gosh, it's the ghost isn't it?! Aaah!!" Harold whined. "I want my mommy! Mommy!!!"
"Shut up, you idiot!"
An eerie, creepy fog had started rolling in as they went along. The light of the full moon and the stars above, along with the boat's headlight, it was dark, and almost hard to see past the darkened depths of the water.
It was all so quiet...
"Where are we?" Arnold whispered, fear settling in his gut, but he kept his cool.
"Yargh, we be approachin' the island..." Said Captain Earl.
Phoebe gave a slight gulp, looking really nervous. Gerald noticed this, and gently took hold of her hand to comfort her. She looked at him with a soft pink blush and squeezed his hand back in thanks. Harold shivered violently, his teeth chattering loudly. Curly turned around to look out ahead, moving his glasses up his eyes a little bit. Eugene's sweet enthusiasm was fading drastically by the minute at this point.
Arnold looked out and around the boat at the water, around the eerie fog. His green eyes wide and alert, and was unconsciously moving closer to Helga, mostly out of fear, but also protection and instinct. Helga noticed this and blushed a little bit, looking at him with admiration. He seemed scared, but he was so cool about it. She was scared, but she too, was hiding it. She looked with envy at Gerald and Phoebe, who were holding hands like it was second nature to them. The petite Asian girl then gulped at a strange noise she heard, clinging onto Gerald, who was surprised for a moment, but didn't mind one bit as he brought an arm around her.
With a light sigh, Helga turned her attention back to her beloved, longing to hold on to him, as fear was eating at her gut. But she dared not. Arnold noticed her looking at the corner of his eye and turned his head to face her. She immediately looked away, blushing.
"Are you okay, Helga?" He asked in concern. "You've been awfully quiet the past couple of minutes."
"Y-Yeah...of COURSE I'm okay, football head!" Helga scowled, crossing her arms. "Why wouldn't I be okay? Sheesh! Quit asking me that!"
Arnold sighed and gave a nod, looking away. "Whatever you say, Helga."
Oh Arnold, my sweet little Angel...why must I only react so cruelly? Why must I snap at your dear, genuine concern?
"Hey! Land-HO!" Curly suddenly hollered, pointing up ahead.
"Where?!" Eugene turned around, looking to where Curly was pointing. But he leaned too far, and fell off the boat and into the water. Surfacing, he smiled at everyone meekly. "I'm okay!"
"Klutz." Helga rolled her eyes, and helped him back into the boat.
"Yarrrgh, that be the island..." Said Captain Earl, and slowed his boat as they approached the dock. "Be ready to disembark, ye crazy land lovers."
The fog didn't cease as they approached the island. Tall trees loomed all around in a dense formation. Hard to see past. The moon hung overhead, casting an eerie, luminous glow upon the island and the water. This was it, the creepy, abandoned, Crystalline Island.
"So here we are! Crystalline Island HO!" Curly declared, standing up and striking a pose. "Get ready guys, this will be our biggest adventure yet!"
"Thaddeus Gamelthorpe, sit DOWN!" Helga scolded him. "You'll tip the boat!"
The boat pulled up to the dock, and Curly jumped out, followed by Eugene, who tripped and fell onto the dock.
"I'm okay."
Gerald slowly climbed out next, and then turned back, holding his and out to Phoebe with a smile. "Need a hand, babe?"
Phoebe blushed more, and nodded, taking his hand and allowing him to help her out of the boat. "Thank you, Gerald."
"No problem." He smiled more and she giggled.
Next was Arnold, he climbed out onto the dock, and took a quick look around before he turned back to the boat and held his hand out to Helga. She blushed a little and accepted it, taking his hand and he helped her out of the boat.
"...Thanks, I guess." Helga said softly.
"You're welcome." Arnold smiled at her.
Her blush increased, and realized they were still holding hands. Immediately she scowled and drew her hand back as if he were on fire. Then Harold shakily climbed out of the boat, still nervous and scared.
"Thanks for the ride, sir." Arnold said.
"Yarrgh, you crazy kids. I'll be back for ye in an hour." Said Captain Earl, and started the engine, riding away, disappearing into the fog.
The seven kids all now faced the land up ahead, leading into the trees. Tentatively they walked off toward the dense trees, coming to see that there was a large, looming shape some ways beyond.
As they approached, they came to see that it was a large house. Except for the fact that it was a large, two-story log cabin, the windows on the second and first floor looked exactly like the windows of the house from The Amityville Horror. So it looked as if the windows, despite not having any light, were glaring down at them with creepy eyes.
Fog continued to roll in around them, the moon cast its luminous glow along the area, seeming to light up. A twig snapped under Eugene's foot, causing them all to tense up, until they realized it was nothing.
"Well! Nothing to see here! We've seen the place, seen the island, yeah, it's creepy, well, time to go! I'm waitin' for Sheena's Uncle Earl at the dock, bye!" Gerald then said and started to walk off.
"I concur with Gerald..." Phoebe said, going with him.
"Get back here, you two!" Helga went grabbed them both by the backs of their shirts. "We're all going inside this place whether you like it or not! ...Although, I guess SOMEONE should stay and keep an eye out for him."
"But what if Jackson rises up from the water and kills whoever's out here?!" Harold uttered, clutching his neck.
"It's called running away, doi!" Helga said, shaking her head. "Eugene, you're the clumsiest, you keep watch for him out here."
"Okay, Helga!" Eugene saluted, and then walked off to the dock, tripping over an upraised tree root. "I'm okay!"
"Maybe we shouldn't go into the house..." Arnold hesitated. "It's definitely condemned, and could be dangerous."
"Oh PLEASE. You don't actually believe Geraldo's story, do you?" Helga snorted. "There's not gonna be anything in there but dust, spiders, cobwebs, old furniture, and old knick knacks."
"But we-" Arnold was about to protest, when Helga grabbed his wrist and dragged him off toward the house.
"H-Hey! Wait for us!" Harold ran after them.
"I can't wait to explore that old house! Hoo hoo!" Curly said deviously, and went after them too.
Gerald and Phoebe exchanged glances, both of them nervous.
"Let's go, Pheebers...we'll be okay." Gerald assured her, taking her hand.
"I-I guess we will..." Phoebe said softly, and blushed a little. "Let's go."
The two of them followed after their friends, up around to the front of the house on the other side. A front porch graced the front of the house, accompanied by an old porch swing, and creepy, dark windows on both floors.
Out in the water, no one took notice of a football helmet peeking up from beneath the depths as it slowly surfaced...
