Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.


No longer dense

Chapter 2: The escape

Arnold sat in the middle of his cold prison cell, feeling absolutely miserable as the events of the entire day had repeated in his mind many times already, each time, he wished that it was all just one, big, bad nightmare but sadly, that wasn't the case.

This nightmare was just sadly, all too true.

This whole trip to San Lorenzo had been nothing but a trap. He had tried to win it just because he had hoped, that somehow, someway, he would be able to find his parents and discover what had caused their disappearance. He wanted that more than anything in the whole, wide world. He had hoped, dreamed and prayed countless nights that he would find them one day, reunite with them and finally be a real, complete family.

That was what he always has wanted.

To find out that they were alive...that they didn't mean to disappear, that something big had happened but that they wanted to be with him, to be a family. It would have been so perfect, him arriving in San Lorenzo, finding Eduardo, they would both team up to find his parents and then...and then...

Arnold sighed as the harsh reality had finally set in.

He was trapped and couldn't escape.

The worst possible thing had happened today. He was locked in a cell, being held prisoner by his parent's old enemy LaSombra, who had tricked him to come here just so he could find the Green Eye people. His friends now hated him, and they had every right to be. This was all his fault. He had gotten them captured by the ruthless river pirate and they were all doomed.

And it was all his fault.

If he had never kept any secrets, had told at least Gerald what had been happening instead of blindingly trusting "Eduardo" who was actually LaSombra in disguise, this would never have happened. The sad little football headed boy glanced at the guard who was lazily sleeping, with the keys in his hand. It was almost as if mocking him that he was trapped and couldn't escape no matter what.

Arnold, almost by instinct, pulled out his beloved picture of his parents, their smiling images had always been able to comfort him, but right now, he felt the hole in his heart become bigger and bigger as he knew it was all for naught.

"Mom...Dad...all these years, I hoped that we'd find each other and be a family again..."He said softly feeling his sadness growing and growing.

He would never find them now, never hug them like he has always longed. He would never be able to bring them home to grandma and grandpa and have their family fixed. He would never receive a tender kiss on the cheek from his mom that he always longed, he would never get to play ball with his dad like he always dreamed. They would never celebrate his birthday, Christmas or other holidays together in the boarding house. He would never be able to do anything with them and he now knew he couldn't even dream of them anymore.

"But... I guess I'm never going to find you. I'll never know what happened to you..."He choked out as he felt his eyes tearing up and his heart breaking even more.

He had failed them. He would not only never find them now but he might never even see grandma and grandpa, the boarders and Hillwood ever again and neither would his friends and Mr. Simmons either. He had gambled all of their lives, their freedom for the slim chance that he might rescue his mom and dad...and the guilt was eating him alive.

It was all his fault, all of his fault!

He wondered why all of this ever had to have happened, anyway?

All of his life, he has tried to do the right thing, get along with everyone and just try and live his life as peacefully as possible and help other if they needed him. Everyone thought he might have been a busybody, a wet blanket and a party pooper. That didn't bother him much anymore, he just tried to turn the other cheek and go on with his life. He didn't like holding grudges.

He just tried to be a good boy...just like his parents would have wanted him to be.

Glancing once more at the photo of his parents, he knew that it was time to accept that...there was nothing he could do now. He would never find them. He couldn't save them since he couldn't even save himself now!

"Good-bye, Mom. Good-bye, Dad. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."He said in between his sobs before he was outright crying now.

For the first time in a really long time, he let his sadness consume him and just cried out in sadness in misery.

It was all over now and nothing will ever make this right.


Arnold didn't know when he had finally managed to fall asleep. He had been too busy crying in misery and self-pity to even notice. But he was brought back to consciousness when something had landed on top of his bed in his prison cell, forcing him back to the world of consciousness.

"What's go-..."He was silenced when he felt a pair of hands over his mouth. He saw that it was Helga.

How did she get in here?

"SHH..."She hissed to the bewildered boy who also saw that Gerald was also in here as well.

"What are you guys doing here?...;Arnold asked in a mixture of confusion and amazement.

"We're your rescue committee...'Gerald said as a matter of factly.

Arnold blinked in amazement, before memories came back along with his guilt. He had gotten them all captured and they were still willing to help him?

"I thought you guys hated me..."Arnold mumbled in sadness, looking to the ground, his guilt as plain as day to them.

"Well, of course, everyone hates you, bucko, but we've got to bust you out of here and find those Green-Eyes if we want to save ourselves...'Helga pointed out, keeping her voice down as to not disturb the sleeping guard.

Arnold wanted to be hopeful but he couldn't do even that now. He wanted to escape with them but how would they even be able to do that?

"But what can we do? LaSombra won...'He said in defeat, feeling absolutely miserable.

And apparently Helga wasn't going to let him. The grumpy, blonde girl suddenly was sitting next to him, giving him a stern look that barely concealed the concern she truly felt deep down.

"Don't you give up now! Your blind optimism is one of your most annoying qualities..."Helga said as she unintentionally put her hand on his shoulder

This surprised Arnold, not that she was trying to comfort him, but that she was still even willing to do that after everything had happened today. Not only the capture but what had happened before on the crow's nest.

"She still cares about me, doesn't she..." Arnold thought in a mixture of wonder and disbelief.

Arnold wasn't dense, at least not anymore.

He knew that Helga was trying to tell him the truth about her feelings, that she was in love with him but he panicked when that happened. He wasn't ready to hear it, because his mind was more focused on finding his parents and also because he was actually worried about how he would even react to it.

Ever since what happened on the FTI roof last year, Arnold had always been confused with Helga. Despite their silent agreement that it had been in the heat of the moment, he knew that it wasn't. He knew Helga was in love with him, and that she wanted to tell him on the crow's nest and was angry and probably heartbroken by him not letting her finish it. He didn't mean to hurt her and he knew most of her anger from today was probably because of what had happened. But what surprised him was what she was doing now.

He looked down to look at her hand on his shoulder, gently on it, despite not wanting to admit it and despite all the trouble from today. Helga G. Pataki was actually trying to comfort him in her own way.

She noticed his staring, flinched and immediately pulled away, obviously feeling embarrassed. Had it been any other time, Arnold would have been surprise and maybe a little amused by her sudden shyness. Suddenly, Helga tried to regain her focus and Arnold would have wondered what had been going on in her own head, before she started speaking again.

"Besides, after the Green-Eyes help us, they might have some information on your parents..."She said seriously to him.

And that did it.

The wheels in Arnold's abnormally oblong head were turning as he registered what she just said and realized that she was right.

It was the Green Eyes!

His parents had come here to help them in the first place, they had helped each other countless times before he was born. Besides Eduardo(the real one, if he was even still alive), the Green Eye people were probably the only people in the whole entire world that would know what had happened to them.

Arnold, his misery and guilt now replaced with hope and determination, got up on his feet, with a smile on his face for the first time that night.

"Come on...'He said to them, feeling his optimism returning.

All thanks to Helga G. Pataki.

He would have to thank her, but right now, they had to get out of this cell, break out of the camp and find the Green Eyes hidden city. But first things was first, they had to get out and get passed the guard who was still, thankfully asleep and snoring loudly.

Arnold, wasting no time, tried to reach for the keys, but each time he got close, the guard would stir a bit, as if about to wake up. After a few times, Arnold was getting worried until he suddenly had an idea. Pulling out the stapler his grandpa had given him just before the trip and that he took only to be polite, he turned to Helga and Gerald who were obviously tense and confused right now.

"Grandpa said this would come in handy..."He said as he once again reached for the keys and quickly placed the stapler in the guards hand, successfully not waking him up.
As quick as they could and as quiet as mouse, he, Gerald and Helga managed to unlock the cage and were now tiptoeing past the sleeping guard, but unfortunately, they haven't gotten as far as five feet as the guard suddenly woke up.

"NO! We were so close!...'Arnold thought in dismay as he felt his heart stop as he knew what would happen now.

The stupid guard would chase after them, call the others and they would be captured again! Maybe sent to a different cell that would be even harder to escape from this time!

"Oh, what-...what are you..."The guard started as he came to and was about to get up and ruin everything.

It would be all over now!

But Helga had other plans, before they could even blink, Helga took the stapler from the guards hand and using all of the strength that she had and-

SMACK!

Arnold closed his eyes and cringed at the sound, only to open to them and now seeing the guard on the ground, groaning in pain before becoming unconscious while Helga stood over him, looking smug with the stapler still in her hands.

"Grandpa was right, football head...'Helga said in an almost proud tone.

Normally Arnold was against violence, but he made the exception right here and turned to Gerald before turning back to Helga. He knew what this meant, they could still make a break for it, get out of this camp, find the Green Eyes and save themselves and everyone else!

All thanks to Helga.

"Nice one Helga..."He said to her in a truly impressed and appreciating voice, earning a surprised and almost dreamy look from her that went as soon as it came.

Now was not the time to worry about whatever was happening with him and her, that could wait until this was all over. Right now they had to get out of here before the guard wakes up or before another one shows up. As they managed sneak out, thanks to the help of the others who were distracting the rest of LaSombra's men and thankfully managed to get the gate open for them. Now the three preteens ran, to freedom...

And to the Green Eyes who were their only hope now.

-To be continued-

Next time on No longer dense

The waterfall and the statue


REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers

HumanDictionary: Thanks...

Invader Johnny: She was angry indeed, but at the end of the day, Helga will always be there for him...which he is now just realizing.

Carlinj83: I hope that this will do ;)

shila-li: Thanks :)


:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)