A lone tumbleweed rolled across the deserted desert in front of an old,
saloon-like building. On it was a faded sign that read, "Bell Hop."
"Where is everybody?" Penny's voice was unsteady.
"This sure is creepy. I wish Snap were here right now. He usually knows what's going on in other parts of Chalkzone." It wasn't the last time that Rudy would wish that.
"For once, I do, too." Penny knelt to the ground, apparently stricken.
"Penny, what's wrong? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Rudy. Come over here and look."
She was bent over a footprint in the mud.
"So--- someone walked here?"
"Not just any someone. Tell me, Rudy, have you ever known someone to go into deatail drawing the sole of a person's shoes?"
"Well, no, but-"
"Okay. And how many chalkpeople could just happen to be wearing THREE DIMENTIONAL Nikes?"
"Okay.....?"
Penny sighed, "I went read the Encyclopedia Of Shoes about a month ago. These are 2004 Nike Airs. A very expensive model, not yet out for release."
"Oh! Wait- I still don't get it."
"RUDY! That means that someone else was here when it happened. When whatever ruined this town happened." Seeing that he still didn't get it, she continued, "Someone HUMAN."
"Oh! But then- that means- that means that there's some other creator here. But where?"
"How would I know." Penny was becoming plainly irritated. Rudy was nice and all, but sometimes Penny missed being around people that were as smart as she was, and she hadn't been since that Talented and Gifted summer camp last year, "We don't even know whether it was friend or foe. The person might just have walked by here afterwards, been here when it happened, or made it happen."
"Oh... but what about before? How do you know this didn't happen a long time ago?"
"Simple. It appears as if most of the houses here were destroyed by a tornado- a tornado of fire. The wind would blow away any prints, and the ashes that would settle afterwards would hold them well."
"Oh.... How do you know all this?"
"I read, Rudy. I just- read."
"Oh...."
"Can you say anything else? Let's just go look for clues or something."
"Oh ye--" Rudy caught himself, "wait, I mean, sure." Rudy ran to catch up with is friend, who was already looking inside of the Bell Hop.
Penny held up a hand, "Do you hear anything?"
Rudy strained to listen. There was the a faint scuffling sound, like someone pushing a heavy box along the floor. He nodded.
"It's coming from that door." Penny raised her voice, "Anyone there?"
The scuffling grew louder.
"C'mon, Penny. We've got to push that door down." Rudy ran, and slammed into the door, but to no avail.
Penny just stood there, "Uh, Rudy?"
"No. Time. To. Talk. Now. Must. Save. Breathe." Rudy panted throwing himself at the door again.
Penny sighed. Rudy was a great guy, but he could be a bit rash sometimes, "Rudy!"
"Give me a hand her, Penny. I can''t knock it in on my own."
"RUDY!!!!!!!"
"What is it? Why aren't you helping, c'mon." But he stopped at the expression on her face.
"Use. The. Chalk, Rudy." Said Penny, irritation raw on her voice.
"Oh yeah!" He quickly drew a battering ram, "Wait, I can't lift it!"
"Or, Rudy, you could just use the chalk to draw a screwdriver. Then, I can take off the doorknob, and it will open, WITHOUT any mortal wounds."
"Where is everybody?" Penny's voice was unsteady.
"This sure is creepy. I wish Snap were here right now. He usually knows what's going on in other parts of Chalkzone." It wasn't the last time that Rudy would wish that.
"For once, I do, too." Penny knelt to the ground, apparently stricken.
"Penny, what's wrong? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Rudy. Come over here and look."
She was bent over a footprint in the mud.
"So--- someone walked here?"
"Not just any someone. Tell me, Rudy, have you ever known someone to go into deatail drawing the sole of a person's shoes?"
"Well, no, but-"
"Okay. And how many chalkpeople could just happen to be wearing THREE DIMENTIONAL Nikes?"
"Okay.....?"
Penny sighed, "I went read the Encyclopedia Of Shoes about a month ago. These are 2004 Nike Airs. A very expensive model, not yet out for release."
"Oh! Wait- I still don't get it."
"RUDY! That means that someone else was here when it happened. When whatever ruined this town happened." Seeing that he still didn't get it, she continued, "Someone HUMAN."
"Oh! But then- that means- that means that there's some other creator here. But where?"
"How would I know." Penny was becoming plainly irritated. Rudy was nice and all, but sometimes Penny missed being around people that were as smart as she was, and she hadn't been since that Talented and Gifted summer camp last year, "We don't even know whether it was friend or foe. The person might just have walked by here afterwards, been here when it happened, or made it happen."
"Oh... but what about before? How do you know this didn't happen a long time ago?"
"Simple. It appears as if most of the houses here were destroyed by a tornado- a tornado of fire. The wind would blow away any prints, and the ashes that would settle afterwards would hold them well."
"Oh.... How do you know all this?"
"I read, Rudy. I just- read."
"Oh...."
"Can you say anything else? Let's just go look for clues or something."
"Oh ye--" Rudy caught himself, "wait, I mean, sure." Rudy ran to catch up with is friend, who was already looking inside of the Bell Hop.
Penny held up a hand, "Do you hear anything?"
Rudy strained to listen. There was the a faint scuffling sound, like someone pushing a heavy box along the floor. He nodded.
"It's coming from that door." Penny raised her voice, "Anyone there?"
The scuffling grew louder.
"C'mon, Penny. We've got to push that door down." Rudy ran, and slammed into the door, but to no avail.
Penny just stood there, "Uh, Rudy?"
"No. Time. To. Talk. Now. Must. Save. Breathe." Rudy panted throwing himself at the door again.
Penny sighed. Rudy was a great guy, but he could be a bit rash sometimes, "Rudy!"
"Give me a hand her, Penny. I can''t knock it in on my own."
"RUDY!!!!!!!"
"What is it? Why aren't you helping, c'mon." But he stopped at the expression on her face.
"Use. The. Chalk, Rudy." Said Penny, irritation raw on her voice.
"Oh yeah!" He quickly drew a battering ram, "Wait, I can't lift it!"
"Or, Rudy, you could just use the chalk to draw a screwdriver. Then, I can take off the doorknob, and it will open, WITHOUT any mortal wounds."