A/N: Grrah, I started on this and had my computer delete it on me.
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"WAKE UP! YOU'RE GOING TO MISS THE BUS!" After Calvin's mom had finished the foghorn imitation and withdrawn her head, Calvin sat up and blinked at Sam, who had pulled both the covers and a pillow over her head. "Mom should have gone in for opera singi- Oopth!" He glared at Sam over the hastily fashioned pillow-projectile. "C'mon, lets go get dressed, Cal."
It was a normal day of school for Calvin and Sam. A Pop Quiz from Mrs. Wormwood, a three page essay from Mr. Ballantine, Moe beating up Calvin and Sam dropping her lunch tray. Needless to say, it was two very happy kids who got off the school bus. Except for one thing.
Calvin glared suspiciously at Susie, who was following them up the walk. "Hey, your house is over there!" "I know THAT, but I'm obviously not going to my house." "Okay……WHY?!?!" "Mom is at a meeting and Dad's in Vancouver, so Mom made plans with your mom for me to stay over until she gets back from her meeting." "Well, Mom said that you can come over, but you have to stay in our yard." "SHE DID NOT!" "Guys, come on. We're at the house."
Sam opened the door, and Calvin flinched, expecting to see an orange, stripey cannonball headed for his face. But instead……"Ohhh, so CUTE! Your tiger is wearing a TIE!" Calvin shot Hobbes a glare as he was practically knocked off his feet by Susie rushing past him for a hug from the snappily attired tiger.
"Okay, okay. Girls flip for ties. NOW STOP WINKING AT ME!" "Pfft. You'd think you might WANT a tip. You'll be lucky if you don't have to wear a paper bag over your face, the way you are going." "Why you little-!" Calvin's mom stuck her head into the room, saying "Calvin, BE NICE. I need to run to the grocery to pick up some things for dinner. I'll be back soon."
As soon as Mom left the house Calvin ran into the kitchen. "Guys, let's play Calvinball!" "Calvinball?" asked Susie, frowning. "The only rules are that there are no rules and it can never be played the same way twice." said Sam, putting the peanut butter back in the cupboard. "Okay……I'll try….." "Calvin, you go get the masks while I get the time fracture wickets."
--Outside, ten minutes later--
Calvin was speeding down a hill in his wagon, black mask on and a croquet mallet in hand. He was chasing Sam and Susie, who were in Sam's blue wagon. Sam was steering, and had the Calvinball in her lap. Susie was sitting back to back, with Calvin's dart gun and a water balloon launcher close to hand. "Eat balloon!" she yelled, taking aim.
SPLAT!
Calvin glared at Susie, pulling a piece of balloon off his face……..just in time to see a gigantic tree in their path! "HIT THE BREAKES!"
CRASH!
Calvin had enough time to see a group of cats, their outlines wavering like fog, appear in a ring around them before his vision flickered and went out like a candle.
--Moe's house--
Moe's dad, in a beer induced haze, was semi-asleep in front of the television. Not asleep enough, in fact, for when Moe came into the house he lurched upright. "Where 'he hell do you think you're going, boy? Get your ass into the kitchen and do that homework!" When Moe did not move fast enough for his liking, he lurched over to Moe and slapped him, open-handed, hard enough to knock him off his feet. "I-SAID-GET-IN-THERE!" Moe's father roared, punctuating each word with a blow to the huddled figure at his feet. "GO!"
With a Herculaneum effort, Moe got to his feet and ran, ran away from the cruelty still spouting from his dad's mouth and out the door, into the woods bordering the trailer park. He did not make it far before his vision blurred, and the combined force of his wounds brought him crashing to the ground.
--Tommy's backyard--
"Oh, shoot." groaned Tommy Chestnut as his baseball flew over the back fence and into the woods. Sighing, he climbed over the fence and into the dark woods. He never even saw the myriad of eyes following his progress, or the whippy branch that poleaxed him.
