1 The Two Strangers
Okay, we'll be seeing a little angst here in the beginning of this chapter, but it's not enough to rate it PG-13, so the PG rating stays…for now, anyway…
2 CHAPTER SIX: Midnight Delivery
Nighttime was usually pretty quiet in Ocean Shores. The town was far away from the lights and noise of San Diego and Los Angeles. The only places open at midnight were the gas stations, so the most ruckus heard during the night was the sound of softly chirping crickets.
Tonight, that wasn't going to be the loudest noise.
At the Dullard household, Sam was sleeping soundly… until the sputtering of an old truck motor awoke him. Not knowing what it was yet, he rubbed his eyes and put on his glasses. Peeking out the window, he saw what looked like an old moving truck in Amber's driveway.
Sam yawned. "I thought she was finished getting all those crates in her house," he said to himself tiredly. "What could be left to unpack?"
Sure enough, the moving man began taking out crates from the back of his truck. These crates were different, though; Sam noticed that they were smaller than the other crates, and could faintly see a few holes on the sides.
That was unusual- what were in those crates, because they didn't look like they had fossils in them. Also, why would Amber want these crates delivered at night? Was she trying to hide something?
Sam looked the digital clock on his nightstand. 12:45 AM. WAY too early to go over and ask questions. He decided that he would talk to Amber the following morning… when he was awake enough to ask.
The next morning, Sam waited outside Amber's door. Obviously, she was a heavy sleeper, since no one answered the door when he knocked.
Sam was still a little curious about last night. He had already learned not to completely trust Amber, but that "midnight delivery" only deepened his suspicion.
Across the street, Otto and Reggie made their way outside the Rocket house. While Otto skated over to the Rodrequez house to get Twister, Reggie roller- bladed to Amber's house, where she noticed a near-asleep Sam.
"Hey, Sam," Reggie greeted, noticing his sleepiness. "Are you okay? Have a good night?"
Not noticing Reggie until that moment, Sam raised his head. "Oh… hey, Reg," he replied. "I slept pretty well… except for this big truck that came by Amber's house last night… it woke me up around 1 AM."
Reggie shrugged. "I didn't notice anything last night," she said, "but if there was a truck here last night, I'd like to know why it came at night."
Sam yawned. "That's not the only thing," he pointed out. "The crates were smaller than the other ones, and there were air-holes on the sides."
"Air holes?" Reggie repeated, confused. "Why would there be air-holes on a box that has fossils?"
"Well, I doubt that there are fossils in that crate at all," Sam thought aloud. "The only reasonable explanation would be a live animal-"
"Why would she need a live animal?" Reggie questioned. "It doesn't make much sense to me."
Sam was silent for a moment. Reggie was right- Amber didn't need a live animal. What else could have been in those crates, though?
By that time, Otto and Twister had arrived at Amber's house. While Otto was looking as awake as he usually was, Twister looked a little tired. Apparently, something had kept him up the former night.
Sam finally looked up and noticed Twister's fatigued expression. "What happened, Twister?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
Otto looked at Sam, observing the boy's sleep-starved appearance. "Probably the same thing that happened to you." He pointed out.
Sam ignored Otto's comment. "I'm just asking because there was a moving truck outside Amber's house last night and I had trouble sleeping because of it." He explained.
Twister nodded. "Me too," he acknowledged, looking at Otto and Reggie. "I don't understand why you guys didn't hear that thing. I couldn't sleep because of that truck."
Reggie turned to Otto and explained to him what she and Sam were previously discussing. Although he didn't look like he was paying attention, probably because he wasn't, she kept talking just in case (by some chance) he WAS listening.
Suddenly, the front door opened. There stood a half-asleep Amber, with less sleep than both Sam and Twister combined. It was clear to all of them that there might be more to Amber's plans than just a skate park.
Amber smiled weakly. "Care to come inside?" she offered.
Otto and Reggie walked in immediately, but Sam and Twister stood in place for a moment or two before joining them.
Okay, we'll be seeing a little angst here in the beginning of this chapter, but it's not enough to rate it PG-13, so the PG rating stays…for now, anyway…
2 CHAPTER SIX: Midnight Delivery
Nighttime was usually pretty quiet in Ocean Shores. The town was far away from the lights and noise of San Diego and Los Angeles. The only places open at midnight were the gas stations, so the most ruckus heard during the night was the sound of softly chirping crickets.
Tonight, that wasn't going to be the loudest noise.
At the Dullard household, Sam was sleeping soundly… until the sputtering of an old truck motor awoke him. Not knowing what it was yet, he rubbed his eyes and put on his glasses. Peeking out the window, he saw what looked like an old moving truck in Amber's driveway.
Sam yawned. "I thought she was finished getting all those crates in her house," he said to himself tiredly. "What could be left to unpack?"
Sure enough, the moving man began taking out crates from the back of his truck. These crates were different, though; Sam noticed that they were smaller than the other crates, and could faintly see a few holes on the sides.
That was unusual- what were in those crates, because they didn't look like they had fossils in them. Also, why would Amber want these crates delivered at night? Was she trying to hide something?
Sam looked the digital clock on his nightstand. 12:45 AM. WAY too early to go over and ask questions. He decided that he would talk to Amber the following morning… when he was awake enough to ask.
The next morning, Sam waited outside Amber's door. Obviously, she was a heavy sleeper, since no one answered the door when he knocked.
Sam was still a little curious about last night. He had already learned not to completely trust Amber, but that "midnight delivery" only deepened his suspicion.
Across the street, Otto and Reggie made their way outside the Rocket house. While Otto skated over to the Rodrequez house to get Twister, Reggie roller- bladed to Amber's house, where she noticed a near-asleep Sam.
"Hey, Sam," Reggie greeted, noticing his sleepiness. "Are you okay? Have a good night?"
Not noticing Reggie until that moment, Sam raised his head. "Oh… hey, Reg," he replied. "I slept pretty well… except for this big truck that came by Amber's house last night… it woke me up around 1 AM."
Reggie shrugged. "I didn't notice anything last night," she said, "but if there was a truck here last night, I'd like to know why it came at night."
Sam yawned. "That's not the only thing," he pointed out. "The crates were smaller than the other ones, and there were air-holes on the sides."
"Air holes?" Reggie repeated, confused. "Why would there be air-holes on a box that has fossils?"
"Well, I doubt that there are fossils in that crate at all," Sam thought aloud. "The only reasonable explanation would be a live animal-"
"Why would she need a live animal?" Reggie questioned. "It doesn't make much sense to me."
Sam was silent for a moment. Reggie was right- Amber didn't need a live animal. What else could have been in those crates, though?
By that time, Otto and Twister had arrived at Amber's house. While Otto was looking as awake as he usually was, Twister looked a little tired. Apparently, something had kept him up the former night.
Sam finally looked up and noticed Twister's fatigued expression. "What happened, Twister?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
Otto looked at Sam, observing the boy's sleep-starved appearance. "Probably the same thing that happened to you." He pointed out.
Sam ignored Otto's comment. "I'm just asking because there was a moving truck outside Amber's house last night and I had trouble sleeping because of it." He explained.
Twister nodded. "Me too," he acknowledged, looking at Otto and Reggie. "I don't understand why you guys didn't hear that thing. I couldn't sleep because of that truck."
Reggie turned to Otto and explained to him what she and Sam were previously discussing. Although he didn't look like he was paying attention, probably because he wasn't, she kept talking just in case (by some chance) he WAS listening.
Suddenly, the front door opened. There stood a half-asleep Amber, with less sleep than both Sam and Twister combined. It was clear to all of them that there might be more to Amber's plans than just a skate park.
Amber smiled weakly. "Care to come inside?" she offered.
Otto and Reggie walked in immediately, but Sam and Twister stood in place for a moment or two before joining them.
