----
"So it was a done deal," said Arthur to the news reporter. "My dad was really happy to hear it. I called home as soon as I could and told them the news. Everybody was happy, even my sister, D.W. But we still had a lot of work to do before we left Hollywood. And when we finally did get back to Elwood City, I was in for a real shock..."
----
On a lazy Saturday afternoon, Buster, Brain, Muffy, and Sue Ellen were lying on the grass in a city park. Near to them, the Elwood River flowed peacefully towards the ocean.
"I'm just not good for the role," said Brain. "I can recite the lines without any trouble, but I'm afraid I'll stand up there in front of all the kids and sound like an emotionless robot."
"I dunno, Brain," said Buster. "Your evil laughter is pretty convincing."
"You even scared me," said Sue Ellen.
"But I needed Mr. Haney to pump me up," said Brain.
"I don't get it," said Muffy. "Why doesn't Floyd want to be in the play? I wish we could change his mind somehow."
"You could buy him something," Sue Ellen suggested. "That always works."
"I know," said Buster. "Let's ask Binky to clobber him unless he changes his mind."
"I think we should all talk to him together," said Muffy. "We should tell him that we're great fans of his, and we love to see him act."
"That might work," said Brain.
The kids lay silently for a few seconds.
"I wonder if Arthur's passed his screen test yet," said Buster.
"Yeah," said Sue Ellen. "Let's go find out."
The four kids stood up and started to walk towards the street...
...when Brain saw, in the distance, a man sitting on the edge of the Sage Street Bridge, overlooking the river.
The drop from the bridge to the river was about 80 feet.
"Look over there," said Brain. The kids looked at the man for several moments.
Then Muffy spoke. "That's Mr. Frensky!"
Sue Ellen turned to her. "Are you sure?"
Brain narrowed his eyes. "Muffy's right. That's him."
Buster became alarmed. "You don't suppose he's..."
"Come on!" cried Muffy, starting to run toward the bridge.
The other three followed her. Four blocks later they arrived at the bridge and hurried toward the man, who was indeed Mr. Frensky. He sat with his legs dangling over the edge, appearing to be deep in thought.
When the children reached Mr. Frensky's position, they squeezed through the guardrail. When he saw them, he gave them a grumpy look.
"You kids shouldn't be so close to the edge," he warned them. "It's dangerous. You could fall in and drown."
"Sorry, Mr. Frensky," said Muffy, "but when we saw you here, we were afraid you might..."
"I might what?" said Mr. Frensky impatiently.
"...well, jump," Muffy finished.
Mr. Frensky looked down at the river again.
Brain's feet were near the edge of the bridge. He looked at the flowing waters of the river, and fear welled up in his stomach...
"I'm not going to jump," said Mr. Frensky without looking at the kids.
"Oh," said Muffy. "Well, in that case, we'll just wish you a good day."
As Muffy bent over to squeeze through the guardrail again, Mr. Frensky faced her. "Wait a minute," he said. "Is that what this is all about? Are you kids following me around because you're afraid I'll kill myself?"
Brain continued to stare at the river, his mind filling with terror...
Mr. Frensky grasped the guardrail and pulled himself to his feet. Buster and Muffy gasped, fearing he might jump.
"If you think I'm that hopeless, you're wrong," he told the kids. "I may have lost everything else I care about, but I haven't lost my will to live. Now, if my sitting here bothers you so much, I'll go sit somewhere else."
Brain stood motionless, sweating, his eyes fixed on the river...
Sue Ellen was the first to observe Brain's expression of panic. "What's wrong with Brain?" she asked.
"Oh, he's just afraid of water," said Buster flippantly.
"Come on, guys, let's go," said Muffy as she stuck her right leg through the guardrail.
Brain didn't move. He didn't speak.
Mr. Frensky walked over to Brain and tapped him on the shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Without warning, the terrified Brain wrapped his arms tightly around Mr. Frensky's legs, knocking him off balance.
Mr. Frensky grasped the guardrail with one hand to steady himself. With the other hand he involuntarily swatted at Brain, pushing the boy off of his legs...
...and over the edge of the bridge.
Muffy let out an earsplitting scream as Brain plummeted toward the river below...
(to be continued)
"So it was a done deal," said Arthur to the news reporter. "My dad was really happy to hear it. I called home as soon as I could and told them the news. Everybody was happy, even my sister, D.W. But we still had a lot of work to do before we left Hollywood. And when we finally did get back to Elwood City, I was in for a real shock..."
----
On a lazy Saturday afternoon, Buster, Brain, Muffy, and Sue Ellen were lying on the grass in a city park. Near to them, the Elwood River flowed peacefully towards the ocean.
"I'm just not good for the role," said Brain. "I can recite the lines without any trouble, but I'm afraid I'll stand up there in front of all the kids and sound like an emotionless robot."
"I dunno, Brain," said Buster. "Your evil laughter is pretty convincing."
"You even scared me," said Sue Ellen.
"But I needed Mr. Haney to pump me up," said Brain.
"I don't get it," said Muffy. "Why doesn't Floyd want to be in the play? I wish we could change his mind somehow."
"You could buy him something," Sue Ellen suggested. "That always works."
"I know," said Buster. "Let's ask Binky to clobber him unless he changes his mind."
"I think we should all talk to him together," said Muffy. "We should tell him that we're great fans of his, and we love to see him act."
"That might work," said Brain.
The kids lay silently for a few seconds.
"I wonder if Arthur's passed his screen test yet," said Buster.
"Yeah," said Sue Ellen. "Let's go find out."
The four kids stood up and started to walk towards the street...
...when Brain saw, in the distance, a man sitting on the edge of the Sage Street Bridge, overlooking the river.
The drop from the bridge to the river was about 80 feet.
"Look over there," said Brain. The kids looked at the man for several moments.
Then Muffy spoke. "That's Mr. Frensky!"
Sue Ellen turned to her. "Are you sure?"
Brain narrowed his eyes. "Muffy's right. That's him."
Buster became alarmed. "You don't suppose he's..."
"Come on!" cried Muffy, starting to run toward the bridge.
The other three followed her. Four blocks later they arrived at the bridge and hurried toward the man, who was indeed Mr. Frensky. He sat with his legs dangling over the edge, appearing to be deep in thought.
When the children reached Mr. Frensky's position, they squeezed through the guardrail. When he saw them, he gave them a grumpy look.
"You kids shouldn't be so close to the edge," he warned them. "It's dangerous. You could fall in and drown."
"Sorry, Mr. Frensky," said Muffy, "but when we saw you here, we were afraid you might..."
"I might what?" said Mr. Frensky impatiently.
"...well, jump," Muffy finished.
Mr. Frensky looked down at the river again.
Brain's feet were near the edge of the bridge. He looked at the flowing waters of the river, and fear welled up in his stomach...
"I'm not going to jump," said Mr. Frensky without looking at the kids.
"Oh," said Muffy. "Well, in that case, we'll just wish you a good day."
As Muffy bent over to squeeze through the guardrail again, Mr. Frensky faced her. "Wait a minute," he said. "Is that what this is all about? Are you kids following me around because you're afraid I'll kill myself?"
Brain continued to stare at the river, his mind filling with terror...
Mr. Frensky grasped the guardrail and pulled himself to his feet. Buster and Muffy gasped, fearing he might jump.
"If you think I'm that hopeless, you're wrong," he told the kids. "I may have lost everything else I care about, but I haven't lost my will to live. Now, if my sitting here bothers you so much, I'll go sit somewhere else."
Brain stood motionless, sweating, his eyes fixed on the river...
Sue Ellen was the first to observe Brain's expression of panic. "What's wrong with Brain?" she asked.
"Oh, he's just afraid of water," said Buster flippantly.
"Come on, guys, let's go," said Muffy as she stuck her right leg through the guardrail.
Brain didn't move. He didn't speak.
Mr. Frensky walked over to Brain and tapped him on the shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Without warning, the terrified Brain wrapped his arms tightly around Mr. Frensky's legs, knocking him off balance.
Mr. Frensky grasped the guardrail with one hand to steady himself. With the other hand he involuntarily swatted at Brain, pushing the boy off of his legs...
...and over the edge of the bridge.
Muffy let out an earsplitting scream as Brain plummeted toward the river below...
(to be continued)
