Chapter 2- Rainstorms, Strange Men, and Late Nights

Phil, Keely, and some of the exchange kids were in Mr. Hackett's biology class.

"Don't forget that semester projects are due Friday," Mr. Hackett said. "Also, chapter test is also Friday." The class groaned.

"BRRIINNGG"! The bell pierced the air and class was over.

"That Mr. Hackett gives a lot of homework," said Rachel, who was one of the future kids. "And I've only been here two days."

"Try spending an entire year in his class," said Phil as the kids, Keely, and him all walked out the school. The future kids looked around at the primitive town.

"This place is umm… different," Heather said, looking around.

"Very," Jason agreed.

"'Dollar General,' 'True Value Hardware,' 'Wal-Mart,' " one of the kids said, reading the signs on the stores. "Those are the primitive versions of stores I've heard that robotic teacher talk about"?

"Yeah, we don't have virtual shopping malls here," Phil replied.

"You guys don't even have Wal-Mart in the future"? Keely asked.

"Well, we do, it's just that it's called Virtu-Mart, and it's a virtual store," Phil replied. "Sam Walton's (I think that's the guy's name) great, great, great grandson changed it in 2085."

"So have you guys ever been to McDonalds"? Keely asked.

"Been there"? Jason asked. "I work there. Only in the future it's called 'McD's Spray Food Joint.'"

"Wow, is all your food spray food"? Keely asked.

"Pretty much," said Heather. "McDonalds was actually where spray food was invented in 2096."

"Well, if you like McD's spray food, you'll love an old-fashioned Big Mac," Keely said as they walked in. They walked outside after they finished eating to find it pouring down rain.

"Oh, darn," one of the kids named Danny said. "The hotel is 2 miles from here and it's pouring."

"Oh, we can all go back to my house," Phil said. "It's just around the corner and down the road a ways."

"Okay, let's go," the kids said and everyone took off running.

"Pim, can you hand me that clay"? Debbie Berwick asked.

"I'm on my break," Pim replied. "Get it yourself."

"Well in all fairness, I do think you should help with this project," Debbie said. Debbie and Pim were assigned as partners for a science project, which was to construct a plant cell model out of clay.

"Fine, here," Pim said, handing her the clay. "Now I'm back on my break." Barb came in the room just then.

"You guys still hard at work on your project"? she asked Pim and Debbie.

"Yep, cause that's what we are- hardworking people," Pim replied.

"Actually, it looks like Debbie is hard at work on the project, and you're hard at work playing with your handheld game. You should pitch in, it's your grade, too." Pim ignored her and continued playing the game. Just then, everyone heard the sound of a mob coming through the door. Then they saw a very soaked bunch of kids come in the kitchen.

"Where've y'all been, you guys are soaked"? Barb asked.

"It was either make a run for it or stay stranded at McDonalds," Phil said.

"Well, you could have chosen that route," Pim said, and Barb gave her a Look. They then heard the weather radio come on saying that bad storms and possibly tornadoes were expected for the area overnight. As if on cue, they heard a loud bang of thunder. Some of the kids screamed.

"Oh, please, enough with the screaming" Pim said. "It's just thunder for God's sake"! Barb had everybody crowd around their little heater in the den to get dried off. The storm continued and she realized that it probably wouldn't quit anytime soon.

"You kids should probably spend the night," she told everybody. "We'll all have to crash here in the den. I'll go call Mrs. Riverson." She went to go use the phone, and Pim ran after her.

"So, does Debbie have to stay, too"? she asked angrily.

"Yes, what do you want me to do, send her out in the rain"? Barb asked.

"Send her to the garage with Curtis or it'll be one annoying night," Pim said and walked off. Barb called Mrs. Riverson, Debbie's mom, and Keely's mom, and they all said it'd be best the kids didn't get back out in the weather.

"Looks like everyone's staying," Barb said to the kids in the den. "Phil, Pim, go get a pile of dry clothes for them to put on." They were on their way up the stairs when the lights went out.

"Great," Phil said. "The lights are out and there's not much outside light on this side of the house. Where are the flashlights"?

"Who knows," Pim replied. "We never use 'em. We always use the Wizrds, which are unfortunately recharging in the time machine right now."

"Well, we'll just have to fanangle around til' we find them," Phil said. "It's not too dark yet." They went and got some clothes and the kids changed into them.

"Now I don't feel so cold," Heather said.

"Oh you'll feel cold if the power's still out later on and we still have no heat," Barb said.

"Where's Dad at, Mom"? Phil asked.

"He called and said he's spending the night at work because these storms are supposed to be bad," his mom replied.

The kids tried their best to keep occupied that evening. But after singing every song about rain they knew and playing Truth or Dare for the twentieth time, they decided to crash for the night. Everyone was asleep or close to it when they heard an earsplitting shriek, a yell, and then someone came running down the stairs.

"There's a strange man chasing me and I can't see who it is"! the person yelled, still running.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH"! came the yell of the strange man. Everyone sat up on the floor, and Phil turned on his flashlight to see Curtis chasing Debbie around the house. Pim and a few others couldn't help but to laugh hysterically.

"Curtis, halt"! Phil commanded. Curtis stopped, and Debbie turned around.

"Curtis"? she asked. "You're Pim's cousin." Debbie remembered seeing Pim's 'distant cousin' at the dentist's office earlier that year.

"Yes, he's back for a visit," Phil said. "His medication makes him hyperactive."

"But why is he dressed up like a caveman"? Debbie asked.

"It's his Halloween costume," Phil said. "He wanted to see if it would scare little kids."

"Yeah, and I guess if it scared Debbie, then it'll be sure to scare a little kindergartener," Pim said.

"What's going on down here"? Barb asked, entering the den.

"This Curtis guy was chasing Debbie over there," Jason said.

"Yeah, I was going to the bathroom and I bump into this strange man and he just started chasing me," Debbie said. "Didn't see that it was Curtis, who I saw at the dentist."

"Well Curtis is being locked in the guest room for the night, so you guys can try to get some sleep," Barb said.

"I will right after I go to the bathroom," Debbie said and ran off. She went too fast in the dark and tripped on the stairs.

"Oops, my bad," she said. Debbie got back and soon everyone drifted off to sleep. They were awoken again at about 3:00 AM to a loud crash, similar to what they heard earlier in the week. The storm was over, but the power still hadn't come back on.

"What was that noise"? Keely asked.

"I don't know, probably some big cat dumping over garbage cans," one of the other kids said. A few minutes later, the sound of sirens blasted.

"Oh, no, they're coming to arrest us," someone said jokingly.

"No they're not," someone else said. "Probably some dumb idiot crashed their car cause they can't see well." There were various noises, some of them loud, which made rackets outside for the next couple hours. Since the power was out, they had nothing to drown out the noise, and everyone had trouble sleeping. At 5:00, some of them decided that there wasn't going to be any sleep, and they got up. Minutes thereafter, the lights came back on.

"Yeah"! everyone shouted.

"Pancakes for breakfast"! Pim said. "If anyone feels like making them."

"I'll make some for you guys," Barb said, entering the kitchen.

"Mornin' Mom, you look tired," Phil said.

"Well you guys were up half the night," she replied. "Do you not think I was, too"?

"Well at first it was too quiet with the power being out," Heather said. "Then it was too noisy with the sirens and whatever else was making noise outside."

"Maybe you're just a picky sleeper," said Pim.

"Well, I didn't see you sleep too much, either," Heather replied. Everyone ate breakfast and changed back into their now dry clothes from the night before, and by six thirty, they all finally heard the sound of the noisy vehicles leaving.

"Finally the cops left," Keely said. "I think my mom's awake, so I'll head home."

"Yeah, me, too," said Debbie. "Although I'd love to stay and work on the science project."

"Later," Pim quickly said.

"See y'all later," Keely said and left with Debbie. Mrs. Riverson came soon after to pick up the kids. She was going to take them around different places for the day. Barb had a lot of laundry to do, leaving Phil and Pim to clean up breakfast dishes. Lloyd would probably be home from work soon.

"Hey, why don't you turn that TV onto the news," Phil said to Pim.

"If you want to hear the latest Michael Jackson mumbo jumbo THAT bad, then turn it on yourself," Pim replied.

"Do you want to know what kept you up half the night last night"? Phil asked.

"Well yeah, so I can kill them," Pim replied.

"Then turn on the news," Phil said and Pim finally turned on the TV. What they saw within moments would shock them…

(A/N: So I finally updated! Sorry for the wait, I've hat a million other things to do the last month. I'll get the next chapter up MUCH sooner, seeing as I only have one more exam left before SUMMER:-) I'll have to study for it some, so I'd expect the next chapter around Thursday or Friday, seeing as all I've got to do those days is clean and pack for vacation Saturday where I'll be all summer.)