Author's Note: I'm really sorry for the delay on this, but I've had some computer troubles recently and wasn't able to write the second chapter. I apologize for any: (choose one) grief/anger/suicidal thoughts this may have caused. This may not be finished before Christmas due to the problems(which weren't my fault, by the way), but it's almost done.
Calvin led the way through the woods like a leader of a famous expedition. Hobbes, however, wasn't having a very good time. For one thing, he had to drag the sled and the suitcases through the freezing snow, which hid sharp pinecones and sticks. This made his legs sore and tired. Often, the suitcaseswould fall off the sled, and he wouldn't know it until he happened to look back. Then, they'd have to follow their tracks backward and find them.
Calvin was losing his patience. "Come on, Hobbes! Pick up the pace! We don't have all year!"
Hobbes sat down in the snow and panted. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one lugging all this junk!"
"Keep in mind that alot of that junk is your tuna! Look, we're almost there! It's not far!"
"Just what are we going to, anyway?" asked Hobbes.
"You'll see."
Hobbes sighed and grabbed the old rope tied to the front of the sled. They continued walking, until finally, they came to what looked like a bunch of tall evergreens that were so close together, they seemed to form a wall.Calvin stopped. "Is THIS it?" Hobbes asked, even more tired than he was before.
"No," said Calvin. Hobbes groaned.Calvinclawed his way through the trees, and so did Hobbes, manuevering the sled through the thick branches. "This is," Calvin said when they were on the other side.
Hobbes looked around. They were standing on what looked like a large cliff. "You made me walk all the way through the woods just to go to a stupid CLIFF?"
"It's not a cliff, Hobbes."
Hobbes glanced over the edge of the cliff and gasped. What they were standing on wasn't a cliff, but a huge and steep slope at the foot of a frozen pond. A rickety-looking ramp made out of a few planks of wood and some old, rusty nails stood at the end of the slope. How steep was the slope? Well, like this: A straight, vertical line is 90 degrees. The slope was probably 89 degrees.
The tiger stumbled backwards. Looking down was making him dizzy. He looked back to Calvin, who was, to his alarm, on the sled at the very edgeof the slope. "Well, come on, Hobbes. We're not going to get to the North Pole by flapping our arms, you know."
Hobbes shook his head. "If you think for one minute that I'm going to go down there, you can forget it. You've had some weird plans before, but this one can get us killed!"
"Don't you want to get presents?"
"I'd rather get coal than DIE!"
Calvin looked down at the sled. "Come on, Hobbes. I can't do this alone. And it's no different than going down any of the other hills in the woods. It'll be a blast!"
"Sure. Sure it will. Before that ramp can't hold the weight and sends us reeling into the icy pond, where we'll catch hypothermia!"
"No it won't! I built it. And besides, the rocket engines will kick in and the GPS system will send us toward the North Pole! We won't have to lift a finger!"
"No way." Hobbes crossed his arms and turned away.
Calvin didn't know what to do. He couldn't convince Santa Claus to give them presents without Hobbes. He had to think of something. Suddenly, he had it. "Stupid tigers!" he yelled.
Hobbes turned around. "What...did...I...tell you?"
"You heard me! Tigers are stupid. They have fleas and smell really bad. That's why lions are the kings of the jungle!" (Even though that was a lie, sort of, because lions don't live in the jungle; they live on the savannas. Sorry, I just had to type this in here.)
Hobbes got really mad. No, not mad. Infuriated. Livid! "That's it! You're going down!" Hobbes rushed toward Calvin, blinded by rage, and pounced at the sled. The sudden impact shoved the sled down the side of the hill.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" The screams echoed throughout the woods, scaring birds from their trees and small mammals out of hibernation. The world was a blur as they sped down the steep drop.
They were approaching the ramp. Oh no, this is it. The ramp's gonna crumble under us and we'll fly to our doom. Man, I wish I had eaten more tuna. Hobbes managed to close his eyes and he gripped the underside of the sled, preparing himself for the freezing cold water. One of his fingers accidentally tapped a small blue button that no one knew was there.
Any minute now. We'll break straight through the ice. Spend the rest of our lives in the hospital. Get coal for Christmas, even though we went through all the trouble to do this.
"Hobbes! Hobbes!" a voice called. "Come look at this! Oh, man, is this awesome!"
Am I in Heaven? Why does that little angel sound so much like Calvin? Why would he be here?
"Hobbes! Look!"
Hobbes gulped and gingerly opened an eye. He was amazed at what he saw! They were flying above the town! They saw people Christmas shopping, and little kids playing in the street. Christmas music drifted into the air like a winter breeze.
"See, I told you that the rocket engines will kick in! And the GPS system will take us there in about a half hour! Now, aren't you glad you believed me?"
Hobbes looked down at the little town. He looked up at the purple winter sky. "Yeah," he said. "I sure am. Say, can we have some of that food we packed?"
"Sure, buddy," said Calvin, taking out a can of tuna and a sandwich.
STAY TUNED FOR p.3! The Final part!
