103 34: CAR TROUBLE.

At the bottom of the clift, Max and Brandon were near a pond and Max stood on his knees as he scooped up a handful of water in his hands and used it to wash the mud off his face and out of his long, light brown hair. Once he was done, the 12 year old got to his feet and looked up in the tree where Lois's banged up car was.

"Lucas!" Max called. "Luke!" He turned to Brandon. "Now, Brandon, listen. Brandon, i'm right here. I'm gonna look after you, but i have to go help Lucas. I want you to stay here and wait for us."

"(Hysterically) They left us! They left us!" Said Brandon.

"Who? Who left you?" Asked Max.

"Our parents. Both Lucas' parents and my parents died in a car crash one night while Lucas and i were at home with the babysitter. It was a head on collision. Both of our parents vehicles crashed into each other and they all died. Do you know what they said to us before they left?" Said Brandon.

"No. What did they say?" Asked Max.

"They said they would be back in an hour. But you know what? That hour came...but they nver did. They left us." Said Brandon.

"But that's not what i'm gonna do. Okay?" Said Max.

Brandon nodded.

"Stay here." Said Max.

Brandon stayed by the pond as Max walked up to the tree that Lois's car was in.

"Lucas!" Max called, but there was no answer. The 12 year old boy then started climbing up the tree by grabbing limbs to support himself. "Lucas? Do you hear me? I'm coming up." Said Max as he continued climbing the tree. "I hate climbing. I hate trees, way too high." Max soon made it to where the car was. "Lucas?" He called, but there was still no answer. The American boy went to the door of the car and looked inside through the glassless window and saw Lucas sitting in the floor of the front passenger seat. "Lucas?" Max opened the door. "Are you okay?"

"I threw up." Said Lucas.

"Well, that's okay." Said Max. "Just give me your hand." Said the boy as he streched his hand out in the car.

Lucas was very hesitant to grab Max's hand, for he feared that the slightest bit of movement would send the car plummiting down from the tree, with both of them in it.

"Lucas, i won't tell anyone you threw up. Just give me your hand." Said Max.

Lucas grabbed Max's hand and started helping the 9 year old out of the car.

"Here, i've got you." Said Max.

"Okay." Said Lucas.

"That's good. Over the rail." Said Max.

"Don't pull me too hard." Said Lucas.

Max helped Lucas out of the car and onto the opened door. "Stand on the door. Hang on to me." The boy helped the 9 year off the door and down a foot away from the tree. "That's not too bad, right, Lucas?"

"Yes, it is." Said Lucas.

"It's like a tree house. Did your parents ever build you one?" Asked Max.

"No." Said Lucas.

"Yeah, mine either." Said Max. "But the thing about climbing is, you never, ever look down."

Lucas looked down and saw how high up in the tree he and Max were. "AH! I had no idea the tree was this high."

"I told you not to look down." Said Max.

"Max, when a person tells you not to look down, your gonna look." Said Lucas.

"Man, you and Brandon are just alike." Said Max.

"This is impossible." Said Lucas. "How am i gonna do this? It's about..."

"I'm gonna help you with your footing." Said Max.

Suddenly, a loud snap came from above them and they saw that the car was starting to fall out of the tree.

"Oh no. Lucas, go." Said Max. He and Lucas climbed down another foot away from the car as it fell from the tree and was stopped by a branch that was above the boys' heads. Seeing that the car had stopped falling for now, Max and Lucas resumed climbing down from the tree as fast as they possibley could. However, the branch that was holding the car began to break due to the massive pressure of the car.

Lucas stopped climbing down and looked up and saw the branch breaking.

"Go! Go, Lucas, go!" Said Max as he and Lucas climbed down as the car began falling down from above them. "Faster, Lucas!"

They continued to climb down as fast as they could, but Max looked up and saw that the vehicle was rappidly catching up with them. "Lucas, jump!"

The two kids jumped down from the rest of the tree and landed on the dirt floor and the car crash landed behind them.

Max turned and saw the car behind him and Lucas. "Go, Lucas."

Max and Lucas proceeded to run, but the car fell over them, with Max using his body to sheild Lucas.

"Max! Lucas!" Said Brandon before running over to the up-side-down vehicle. "Are you guys alright?"

"Well," Lucas began, panting. "we're back...in the car again."

"At least you're out of the tree." Said Max.

103

DALMATIANS