Chapter 2: The Docks, Dreams and Unwilling Police
Arnold called the gang over to his house.
He stood on his stoop and spoke to them like he had done so many times before, "Someone has kid-napped my grandparents!"
Gerald hopped up next to him a said, "And who ever it was took them to were Monkey Man lives"
Helga laughed, "You do know where that is right? Mr. Teller-of-Urban-Tales".
It was true that Helga did not call Gerald Tall-hair boy anymore, but that did not exclude other names.
"Of course I know where it is! It's down by the docks" responded Gerald.
Helga would have replied nastily if Arnold hadn't had his Your fighting with him now! look on his face.
"So you want us to come and help you find them?" asked Rhonda putting her nose in the air.
"Well…yes" Arnold responded.
There was a murmur in the group then Sid said, "Boy howdy, I got nothin' better to do with my time! Let's go!"
"Yeah it'll be just like old times" said Stinky in his southern drawl.
With that the group headed up Arnold's room for the plan.
They were all gathered around Arnold on the floor.
"Okay we're gonna head down to the docks, if we start at 18 hundred hours we should get there before dark" said Arnold running his finger along a map of Hillwood.
"18 hundred hours… what's that?" asked Harold.
"Its military time for 6 pm" Helga would have liked…no… loved to call Harold pig-boy, but Arnold seemed to be so happy with her restricted name calling and she held herself together.
"Right" said Arnold and he was about to continue when Rhonda butted in.
"What, may I ask, are going to do when we find the kid-nappers?"
Helga had enough with the interruptions, "Arnold was just getting to that" she turned to her boyfriend and her tone changed dramatically, "Right?"
Arnold was obviously under pressure, "Uh, actually Helga. I really didn't give it that much thought"
Helga sighed, frustrated.
"Look Rhonda, you have cell-phone right?"
"Yes" responded Rhonda.
"Just put the police station of speed dial, and if anything goes wrong push the number"
Rhonda looked skeptical, but did it anyway.
"Okay everyone let's got catch us a kid-napper!" exclaimed Gerald.
The group walked around the docks, unfortunately Arnold's prediction that they would get there before dark was off by about an hour. Now they were struggling to find Monkey Man's residence in the dark. People kept running into each other, tempers and blood pressures were rising.
"Hey I think I've found it!" yelled Gerald to the left of the group. They stumbled to were they had last heard his voice.
Arnold found a flash light on the ground, he picked it up. "Huh?" something was sticking to his hand, he pulled it off; it was another note. Arnold read it aloud to the rest.
"You've made it so far, but you just missed them. If your up to the challenge and aren't afraid of ghosts visit the Haunted Train Station"
The group sighed angrily.
"I guess we should all just head home and go look for them in the morning" said Sid.
"But!-"Arnold looked desperate. The last of his only family was missing.
"Arnold there's no way we'll be able to find anything in the dark. We'll find them tomorrow" said Helga in the caring voice that she only allowed Arnold to hear.
Arnold sighed and said, " Okay everyone meet at my house in the morning"…
Helga and Arnold were walking home. He whispered something in her ear. She didn't know what it was but it made her laugh. She said something back but was not sure what it was either. Their conversation of unknowns continued for quite some time. Till they got to a front door Helga did not recognize.
Arnold got closer…and closer…
BBRRRRIIIINNNGGGG!
Helga shot up in bed, very confused. Then she realized she'd been dreaming again.
She growled, "Dang, right at the good part too!". She had similar dreams before, in fact that seemed to be the only thing she could dream about since Arnold came back. But none of them had any conversions or a front door or anything else. Helga sighed and got dressed.
"Helga, do you want to come to the mall with me today" asked Olga, in her bright cheery voice. Helga was glad things between them were better, but no matter how good they would get Helga had a feeling she would still despise shopping. Plus she had something much bigger on her hands here.
"No, I don't have time for that, I've got to help Arnold out!"
Olga looked half-upset and half suspicious, "I don't doubt you'd like to "help" Arnold out. But you can just say you don't want to go"
Helga needed to get to Arnold's house, she spoke quickly, "It's not like that, plus the "Help" your referring too is not the help I am"
Olga smiled at her then, turning her back, muttered, "So young and carefree"
A thought struck Helga, "Olga I need your help"
Olga turned around again and said, "Is it about Arnold?"
"Yes"
"Well just talk to him about what-ever it-"
Helga cut her off, "No! Not romantic help, real help. Look we found a note yesterday and it looks like Arnold's grandparents are missing or kidnapped"
Olga's mouth hung open; she was shocked and lost her cheery voice.
"Arnold's grandparents are missing and you all waited a whole day to tell someone!"
"Well I sortta thought it might be a joke I mean his grandpa such a… such a…wily old coot"
"I'm calling the police" said Olga. As Olga's hand was reaching out for the phone it rang. Olga picked it up. It was Arnold.
Helga grabbed the phone, "C'mon football head, tell me you found them" she said urgently.
"No" said Arnold on the other end.
Helga growled angrily.
"And I went the police station this morning and they just laughed at me"
"They laughed at you! You report a missing person and the cops laughed at you!" Helga felt like punching someone.
"Yes, apparently grandma has disappeared on one of her "adventures" so many times they won't bother" Arnold's voice had the smallest hint of humor in it.
"Well I guess we go to the old train station next"
Arnold sighed, "Yeah, see you in a little bit Helga"
"Bye, Arnold"
Helga hung the phone up.
"Forget about the police Olga, Arnold already tried they don't believe him" she said to Olga.
Olga was in awe by the thought of the police laughing at a missing person report.
"Look Olga I've gotta go"…
Helga couldn't believe the police would do something like that. She was walking to Arnold's house. Oh how she longed for a bike or a skateboard to get her there faster.
"Oh my dear beloved, how a long to see that stupid, football headed smile of yours again" Helga had regained her poetic majesty since Arnold had come back from San Lorenzo. While he was gone, everything seemed to have no meaning to Helga, not her guitar, not her songs, not her poems. But her guitar was being played more often; new songs and poems had been written also.
Helga saw Arnold's house approaching and she broke into a run.
Wow thinking really does occupy my time, no wonder long car rides don't seem to bother me.
The gang was all crowded around Arnold's stoop, when Helga approached. Rhonda and Lila gave her a strange look, it gave her a paranoid feeling but she brushed it off, and sat down next to Arnold whom was going over the plan.
"Well we're gonna end up in the dark weather we leave now or in 3 hours. The Train station is just to far away" Helga was surprised Arnold was talking like that. Maybe he was truly afraid that his grandparents were gone.
"What is this" said Helga, "The Great King of the Brightside talking gloomy? That's my job bucko"
"Yeah" said Stinky, "Arnold yer the one who's supposed to say everything's gonna be alright. Remember my awful garden? You told me I could do it and I won that there blue ribbon"
Some of the kids made mentions of when Arnold had helped them also.
This seemed to brighten Arnold up a little. "Okay he said. Let's get on to the Train Station".