Title: Stink, No More
Author: Justine Benoit
Disclaimer: All characters are from the book "Holes" and do not belong to me.
Rating: G
Summary: Stanley, Zero, and X-ray are desperate to get Armpit a present for his fifteenth birthday, but how far will they go to get it?
*Chapter One: The Master Plan*
"Happy birthday, Armpit!" the group of boys shouted. Armpit smiled as an extra serving of "slosh" was splashed on his plate. He licked his lips as the spoonful entered his mouth. The all of the boys sang "Happy Birthday" to him as he ate. Mr. Sir and Pendanski winced at the monotone that left the boy's lips. For a moment, Mr. Sir pondered cutting the racket, but seeing the Warden smiling at the commotion, he decided it best not to disrupt her entertainment.
"Don't forget to make a wish, Armpit," X-ray told his friend, adjusting his glasses.
"Yeah," Zigzag agreed. "If I were you, I'd wish to get out of here." A few of the boys nodded. Armpit shrugged.
"Well, if I wished to get out of here, then I'd have to leave all you guys behind," he pointed out.
That night, the boys treated Armpit like a king; fluffing his pillow, sneaking out to get extra water for him, and offering to dig his hole for him the next day. Armpit loved it. It was everything he could dream of, for after all, a boy in prison camp can't dream much, for almost any dream they wish for most likely won't come true.
Even though X-ray and Stanley knew that Armpit was enjoying his fifteenth birthday greatly, they wanted to do something extra special for him. And as Armpit folded his arms behind his head, resting them on his pillow, a disgusting odor filled the tent and the two boys knew exactly what to get him.
As soon as all of the boys were asleep and Armpit was happily snoring, X-ray and Stanley crept out of the tent on their tiptoes and into the warm night. The stars were seen clearly, for no clouds ever drifted over the camp. They could vaguely see the Warden's cabin and the ground below them, so they were careful not to step in any holes.
Crunch.
Stanley and X-ray stood as still as possible when they heard a clatter behind them.
"Don't worry, guys, it's just me," a familiar and young voice assured. Relieved, the two boys turned around to find the small figure of Zero standing in the moonlight. "Can I come with?"
"Sure," Stanley said, putting a hand on Zero's back. He then carefully told Zero their master plan. He was almost happy that they had a smaller boy to add to their team. Zero smiled and nodded.
"Okay guys, since my sight fails me worst at night, I'll be watch guard. Caveman can take that way," X-ray pointed towards the side of the Warden's cabin. "And Zero, since you're small, you can take that way. Clear?" Stanley and Zero nodded. Quietly, they both crept to their destination, determination haunting their steps through the sand.
"Yo, Caveman!" Zero called, pointing to a light in the Warden's cabin. "Look!" he shouted in almost a whisper. Stanley froze when he saw the small room flashing with colors, signifying that the Warden was watching TV.
"Hey, maybe she fell asleep with it on?" Stanley suggested, shrugging with a nervous twitch.
"Well, I hope you're right, man," Zero said, crouching down, making sure he wasn't visible.
Stanley slowly tiptoed to the back of the cabin, seeing the window. He bit his lip as he tried it and to his surprise, it wasn't locked! He gradually pushed on the glass. His body froze when it creaked. He suddenly lay flat on the ground and shut his brown eyes. Luckily, he couldn't hear any movement inside the cabin. Maybe he was right after all; maybe the Warden had fallen asleep.
Sluggishly poking his head around the corner, X-ray gave him an "A OKAY" sign and Stanley let out a sigh of relief.
In front of the cabin, Zero anxiously and carefully set his hand on the door knob, wondering if the Warden would hear him open it. Being in the room right next to the entering hall, it would be easy for her to awake at the sound of the door opening. But having the TV on—whether the Warden was asleep or awake—was an advantage. A big one.
Zero finally got the guts to turn it, and fortunate for him, it opened without a sound. Slowly, he put one foot in front of the other and prowled down the small hall, searching for the Warden.
He let out sigh of relief when he saw and heard her snoring. Stanley had been right. She had fallen asleep. But what if she would wake up? What if she would catch him? He would be in such big trouble. But maybe his punishment would be digging extra holes—he wouldn't mind that.
X-ray stood as still as possible when he saw Zero's small, shadowy figure through the darkened room. He gulped when he realized that the room right next to Zero was where the Warden was—awake or asleep, he didn't know.
Thump.
X-ray looked down with his blurry vision to see a moving object moving below him. He held his breath, trying to figure out what it was.
A scorpion? No, too small.
A rattle snake? No, too long.
A centipede or millipede? No, too sneaky.
Just then, the object moved into the moonlight. All that X-ray could catch sight of was one yellow spot. Then it hit him.
A yellow-spotted lizard.