Disclaimer: I certainly do not own Zero ((but he's sooo cute)) nor do I own many other things Louis Sachar and Walt Disney have made up. HOLES belongs to Mr. Sachar, THINGS-YOU-DO-NOT-RECOGNISE probably belong to me.

My Angel, My Only

Chapter Fifteen ll A Hot Fudge Sundae

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The land grew steeper and steeper, until it was obvious they were walking up the mountain. The shovel grew too heavy in Zero's arms, and he switched it with Stanley for the sack.

When it grew too steep to walk directly up, they had to zigzag back and forth. It took more time, but it was the only way.

"I wonder when the restaurant closes," Zero said, panting a little. The mountain side was dotted with weeds, and they used them as footholds as they walked up towards Big Thumb.

Stanley looked at him warily, then laughed.

"It ain't closing time yet."

The weeds grew thicker, and soon some thorns appeared.

"Ouch," Zero said, ripping his foot out a cluster of thorns. He bent down and checked his ankle. No cuts, no blood.

The stinging stopped, and he resumed walking. Once or twice, he'd slip and fall onto the weeds. Stanley would help him back up. Zero felt so tired. He wasn't sure if he could go on anymore. However, he hadn't had any attacks since before they climbed the cliff. Maybe the worst was over.

On a particularly slopey part of the mountain, Zero slipped and fell onto the ground. He groaned.

Stanley was laughing as he carefully skidded back down to where Zero was, "You okay there?"

"No," he muttered, taking Stanley's hand and hauling himself up, "It's not a laughing matter."

"Anyone would laugh watching you fall like that," Stanley said, still chuckling, "It's like a little toddler trying to walk up a snowy mountain... then falling flat on his butt."

"Hey, I'm not that little!" Zero protested, as they continued to zigzag up.

Stanley coughed.

They didn't stop once to rest.

As the sky darkened, bugs began to appear over the patches of weeds. A swarm of gnats followed Zero and Stanley, attracted by their sweat. Neither of them had the strength to swat them away. All their strength had gone to their legs.

"How are you doing?" Stanley asked, after a long while of not saying anything. He felt like it was his duty to look after Zero.

Zero pointed thumbs up. Then he lowered his hand and said, "If a gnat lands on me, it'll knock me over."

Stanley barely had the energy to smile.

Ten minutes later, they were back to spelling.

"B -- u -- g -- s."

Zero thought for a moment. Whenever he had to spell words, everything just seemed to cease. What was the most important thing was to figure out what the letters spelt. When he got the word, everything returned back to him. His problems, his thirst, his pain...

"Boogs."

Stanley laughed.

A wide smile spread across Zero's sick and weary face as he realised his mistake, "Bugs." Then he coughed several times.

"That's right. R -- o -- c -- k."

"Rrrr--oh--ck. Rock," Zero coughed again.

"Good! Okay, now this is a hard one. L -- u -- n -- c -- h."

"Luh -- Luh -- un -- " Zero felt a horrible feeling rise up into his throat. He gasped for air, made a wrenching noise and doubled over. Stanley stopped immediately and stared as Zero threw up the sploosh. His frail body shook violently.

Then suddenly, Zero collapsed. He slid down the side of the mountain.

"Whoa! Zero -- Zero!" Stanley yelled, dropping the shovel and sliding down after him.

Zero stopped sliding, his hair getting tangled in some weeds.

"Whoa, buddy. You okay?" Stanley lifted Zero by the shoulders and set him against a rock.

Zero was still conscious, but he felt so exhausted. His eyes closed and his mind began to drift off...

"Zero? Zero!"

Stanley was hitting him gently on his chest.

Zero frowned and groaned, his eyes still closed. He couldn't get up. It was impossible.

"Well, we can't sit around here forever," he heard Stanley distantly say. Then he felt someone lift him up by his forearms, and pull him upright. He felt Stanley pull him over his body, so that his arms dangled over his shoulder.

A piggy-back ride.

After that, Zero couldn't remember much. He guessed he had fallen asleep. Occasionally, he remembered hearing Stanley humming a familiar, melodic tune. He could feel the steps taken as they moved up the mountain. But whenever he heard those noises, they disappeared again. Everything went black.

He also remembered smelling a foul odor.

That was it. Everything was a total blank. It was if someone had wiped out his memory.

He couldn't remember anything that happened in the outside world. Just complete darkness.

He remembered he could keep seeing his mother's face in the darkness. He heard her humming "If only, if only" softly. Then at one point, Zero knew, he had heard the exact same tune, but only different words.

"If only, if only,
The woodpecker sighs.
The bark on the tree was just a bit softer.
While the wolf waits below,
Hungry and lonely.
He cries to the moo--oo--oon.
If only, if only."

And it wasn't his mother singing either; it was a male voice...

Zero felt dizzily light-headed yet conscious of the fact that he was on Stanley's back. He kept dreaming about everything; Mr. Sir and Mr. Pendanski's face kept wafting in and out. The Warden... Zigzag... Armpit... Magnet... X-Ray.

The rattlesnake would sound it's rattle... then suddenly it turned into a yellow-spotted lizard and bit Barf Bag's ankle.

The lizard turned its red eyes to Zero, who tried to run but was paralysed with fear.

It was about to bite...

"I know you mean well, Stanley, but face it. Zero's too stupid to learn to read. That's what makes his blood boil, not the hot sun."

The lizard formed into Mr. Pendanski. Zero felt hot anger surge through him, and he felt something in his hands.

It was the shovel.

He was about to strike Mr. Pendanski again when he suddenly turned into his mother.

"Come here, Hector," she said with a warm smile, stretching out her arms for a hug.

Zero dropped the shovel and ran towards her -- but then her raven black hair disappeared and red hair took over. He stopped abruptly.

"Digging holes builds character," the Warden said.

Zero was having trouble understanding what was happening. Everytime a new person came, it immediately would form into another person.

"Whoa, man! You made Zero talk," Zigzag exclaimed.

"Yeah Zero, what else can you do?" Armpit said.

"Yeah, it was Zero," Armpit said, "I guess the guy likes to dig holes."

"He's a mole," Zero heard Zigzag say, "I think he eats the dirt."

"Moles don't eat dirt. Worms eat dirt," X-Ray pointed out.

"Hey Zero, are you some kinda mole or somethin'?" Squid yelled.

"Zero!"

Zero immediately shot up when he felt cold, wet water splash onto his face, soaking him. Gasping, he looked around.

He was lying on a boulder, in a meadow. He was in a field full of greenish-white flowers. He looked up at the towering rock. It was layered and streaked with different shades of red, burnt orange, brown and tan.

It was Big Thumb.

Which meant...

They had made it!

Or at least Stanley had, and he had taken Zero along with him.

Speaking of Stanley, he was lying on the ground in front of Zero.

Though he still felt sick, weak and exhausted, Zero sat up properly on his boulder and looked at Stanley. He was lying in a pool of very murky water.

Water!

"We did it Zero! It's water!" he was yelling.

Zero stared, unable to believe his eyes. He became aware of a foul odor he had smelt before when he had fallen asleep. It smelt a little tangy, but all the same awful and bitter.

"Water," Zero croaked.

Stanley nodded. He dug at the little muddy ditch, and produced a handful of murky water. He quickly sidled towards Zero, and dropped it into his mouth.

Zero drank it up thirstily.

The two boys continued to lap up dirty water until they were satisfied. Zero felt his stomach clench up violently, and he groaned softly. He laid back down on his boulder, closing his eyes.

Stanley had saved his life.

Now he really owed him a lot. At least a confession.

Yes, he would tell him, Zero decided. He'd tell him he had been the one who had taken the shoes... But maybe... the next day. He was too sick and exhausted at the moment.

Closing his eyes, he relaxed his body. The sun was gone and the sky was quite dark. The cool air made him feel good.

He wondered how Stanley had managed to carry him all the way up the mountain. He realised they had to have been quite close to Big Thumb when he threw up. He didn't think Stanley could carry him a long distance up, as they had been walking all day with no food or water.

Just as Zero's brain was about to fall asleep, Stanley's voice woke him up.

"Here, eat this."

"What is it?" Zero whispered, opening his eyes and looking at the round object in Stanley's hand.

"A hot fudge sundae."

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----A/N: Hiya everyone! I'm feeling better now. Mmm, hot fudge sundae. How tasty! You know which part of that chapter I loved most? When Zero slipped and fell on his butt. Lol, I reckon that's so cute. I wish it had happened in the book, then it might've happened in the movie... How cute would that be! Lol.

Zero: I AM NOT A WOCK. Hewwo! Thwank woo fwor reviewin', it maketh mwe hwappy. And Jaffy'th hwappy twoo! ((MAKES JAFFY NOD)) I wike to eat chocowate fwogth...

((sings along)) I LIKE TO EAT CHOCOLATE FROOOOOOOOOGS!

Zero: ...an' cwookieth...

...me too...

Zero: ((skips off to play Neopets))

...Doesn't look like we'll be seeing him back very soon. Oh, well. Thanks everyone!

--MSQ.