Author's Note: Thank you for your reviews, and I'm glad everyone enjoyed the first two installments of this series. Now, however, the third one is here... and I hope you all enjoy yet another trip into The Twilight Zone!
You unlock this door with the key of imagination, beyond it is another dimension...
... a dimension of sound...
... a dimension of sight...
... a dimension of mind.
You are moving into a land of both shadow and substance...
... of things and ideas.
You've just crossed over into...
The Twilight Zone.
"Catch me if you can, Plank!" Jonny called out as he ran down the lane giggling madly. His feet hit the hard dirt of the lane, echoing between the fences that lined both sides of the lane. He suddenly skidded to a stop and looked back down the lane at his best friend, Plank, who was standing there watching him. "Oh, Plank, you are just so lazy, aren't ya?" he joked before running back over to Plank and scooping him up off of the ground where he stood. Jonny held Plank up to his face and smiled at him; Plank smiled back.
Jonny, age eleven, is a boy many call friendless. Oft seen wondering Peach Creek by his lonesome, Jonny could aptly be described as a loner. Jonny, however, also has perhaps the best friend a person can have: a friend who never leaves his side, always has his back, and will be there for him no matter what. As strong as this bond is, Jonny's friendship with Plank is about to be put through the paces in ways even one as fanciful as Jonny cannot imagine.
"Come on, buddy, let's go see what everyone else is doing!" Jonny suggested before tucking Plank against his side and darting up the lane. He reached the end of the lane and quickly rounded the fence and started toward the cul-de-sac. As he reached the entrance of the cul-de-sac, he spotted Kevin and Rolf tossing a football back and forth in the middle of the cul-de-sac. Jonny smiled widely and began to walk toward the two boys, who were unaware of his presence.
"Go long, Rolf!" Kevin called out as he stretched his arm back back to hurl the football toward the taller boy. Rolf ran as far as he could to the other side of the cul-de-sac, and Kevin tossed the football toward him, the football doing a perfect spiral in the air. Rolf jumped up and caught it in his chest, and fell onto the soft grass of Ed's front lawn. "Ya gotta admit, that one was beautiful!" Kevin bragged to Rolf as Rolf stood up and dusted himself off.
"If you think that was beautiful, then watch as Rolf dazzles your eyes with his amazing skills at tossing the pig skin!" Rolf called out before rearing back for a pass.
"Yeah right, you can't top me, dude!" Kevin answered as Rolf threw it back, Rolf's throw also causing the football to do a perfect spiral. Kevin began to run backwards as he held his hands out, ready to catch Rolf's pass. "Hey, what the-" Kevin exclaimed as he crashed into Jonny. He stumbled and fell to the ground, face-planting into the hard asphalt of the street; Jonny fell backwards and landed gracefully on his behind, Plank still firmly grasped in his hand.
"Hey guys!" Jonny said happily as he stood up and stared down at Kevin, who moaned in pain as he lifted his face off of the ground, which was bright red from the impact. "What are you two doing?" he asked as Kevin stood up and looked at him, a scowl on his battered face.
"We were having a good time until you showed up and got in the way, Jonny," Kevin answered, a tinge of anger in his voice, as he adjusted the hat on his head.
"Rolf has not seen such a beet-red face since Rolf was slapped in the face one hundred times with a wooden paddle for disrespecting his elders," Rolf commented as he joined Kevin at his side. Jonny suddenly looked down at Plank, who still seemed strangely cheery about the whole situation, a smile still plastered on his face.
"Plank says that you should probably put some ointment on that, Kevin!" Jonny exclaimed as he looked back up at Kevin, whose sour expression deepened.
"You're gonna need some ointment when I'm done with you!" Kevin yelled in anger as his fists curled into balls.
"Come on, me and Plank just wanted to hang out with you guys!" Jonny told Kevin as he backed up a little, although he was still upbeat about the whole situation. Kevin sucked in a breath of air and exhaled, trying to vent out his anger without resorting to hitting Jonny.
"Yeah, well we don't need a third wheel around here, Jonny, so how about you go bother someone who deserves to be bothered, like the Eds?" Kevin suggested, wanting to be rid of Jonny so that he and Rolf could go back to throwing the football. Jonny pondered his suggestion for a moment, turning it over in his head.
"But why can't me and Plank play with you guys?" Jonny asked, not understanding that Kevin really didn't want him around.
"Because you and that board of yours are gonna get in the way," Kevin shot back as he glared at Jonny, getting more and more annoyed every second he had to speak with Jonny. "So why don't you go run off and go play with some of your friends, huh?" he suggested.
"But you guys are my friends!" Jonny answered as his grip on Plank tightened. Kevin looked up at Rolf, a sour expression still on his face; Rolf shrugged.
"You are Rolf's comrade in the Urban Rangers, Jonny the wood boy," Rolf began as he stared down at Jonny. "Perhaps Rolf will, how do you say, 'hang out' with you at the next Urban Rangers meeting, yes?" he proposed as he smiled at Jonny.
"Well, that sounds okay... but why can't I just hang out with you guys right now?" Jonny asked, still oblivious to Kevin and Rolf's attempts to get him to leave them alone. Kevin let out an exasperated sigh and laid his hand on Jonny's shoulder.
"Look, Jonny, can't you catch a hint man?" Kevin asked in a peeved tone. "Me and Rolf don't want to 'play' or whatever with you right now, so that means beat it," he explained before taking his hand off of Jonny's shoulder and pointing out in a random direction. Jonny gave him an offended look and backed up a few steps.
"We... we just wanted to hang out with our friends..." Jonny replied in a helpless tone before turning around walking off, a melancholy aura falling around him. Kevin bent down and scooped up the football off of the ground and then looked after Jonny as he walked away.
"Friends... yeah right... why would anyone want to be friends with that weirdo?" Kevin disparaged before turning to Rolf. "Alright, now let's stop thinking about that globe head and get back to my perfect throwing arm!" he recommended as he motioned for Rolf to run back out for another pass. Jonny looked back at Kevin and Rolf, who once again went back to not noticing his presence at all. His expression fluctuated, almost turning to one of hopeless despair as Kevin's words turned over and over again in his head. He turned back away and walked off in a random direction, his day suddenly taking a dark turn.
Jonny walked through the woods, which were unnaturally bright and cheerful looking due to the beautiful cloudless day that hung overhead. He wished he could suck up some of that happiness and brilliant light to rid himself of his unpleasant mood, but he couldn't shake away the memory of how thoughtless and cold Kevin had been toward him. He didn't think he had done anything to make Kevin mad, so it just seemed like Kevin was being a huge jerk. "What do you think, buddy?" he asked as stopped next to an old, thick tree and looked down at Plank, who appeared to be thinking about how to respond to Jonny's question.
"..." Plank replied as he gave Jonny a smile; Jonny couldn't help but grin back, finding Plank's words to be uplifting.
"Thanks, Plank..." Jonny trailed off as he sighed and looked off into the woods. "I mean, I know you're my friend, but I just don't understand why no one else ever wants to hang out," he began as he resumed his trek through the woods; Plank listened closely, ready for whatever Jonny was about to say. "Everyone always tells me that they'll hang out later, but then when I come to hang out with them they tell me they're too busy and they can't... I just don't get it," he relayed as he kicked a mossy rock with his foot as he walked, the rock sailing off into the woods.
"..." Plank commented; Jonny sighed and nodded slowly.
"I know you're always there for me, but I just wish I could find another friend to spend time with too..." Jonny disclosed as his mind wandered off into thought. "A new friend for both of us," he added as he came upon a clearing he had never been in before, which was surprising; Jonny had done a lot of exploring in the woods, and it was always strange to find a location he had never set foot in. He took a moment to analyze the area with his eyes before going any farther. He could see that the trees here were large and mossy, and he could also see that the ground here hadn't been tread upon very much; vines and grass choked the ground, completely hiding it from sight. Jonny's eyes stopped on a huge concrete pipe that was sticking out of a small incline on the other side of the clearing. It looked very old and unused, and it had vines curling around it in random patterns.
"..." Plank remarked as he too looked around the clearing.
"It is amazing, isn't it?" Jonny answered as he stood there, reluctant to enter the clearing; it almost seemed wrong to disturb such a serene and untouched corner of the woods. He couldn't resist the temptation to explore, however, and so, after another moment of hesitation, he finally moved one of his legs and set his foot down in the thick grass, relishing the feel of the grass sliding around his foot, almost as if it was embracing him and accepting him. Jonny then brought his other leg forward and completely entered the clearing, enjoying the sound of his leg swishing past the long stalks of grass. He then began to slowly stroll the clearing, taking it every minute detail that it had to offer.
"..." Plank asked as he looked up at Jonny, who was lost in a world of his own.
"I don't know... there's so much to see and so much to do here," Jonny replied as he stopped in the middle of the clearing. "I mean, we could climb one of these big tall trees and swing around on the vines like monkeys!" he exclaimed before laughing, Plank laughing as well.
"..." Plank questioned as he looked over at the large concrete pipe; at the end of it was a large pitch black hole, and there seemed to be a perpetual darkness that swirled within it that the sun above them could not penetrate. Jonny stopped a few yards from the pipe and tried to peer into it, although he couldn't make out anything inside of it.
"I don't think that's a good idea, buddy, there could be a wild animal in there..." Jonny answered, his eyes still fixated on the pipe. Even after his warning to Plank, he did have to agree that it was an interesting sight; after all, what exactly was the pipe even doing out here? He thought about it a moment longer, and then sighed. "Well, maybe you're right, Plank. Heck, we could even make a home away from home out here in that pipe," he imagined aloud as he beamed at the thought. "We could come out here and hang out all we wanted to if we cleaned it out and put some things in it to make it more welcoming," he added as the wheels in his head turned, his imagination coming alive.
"..." Plank suggested. Jonny looked down at Plank, his face a little apprehensive.
"Well... we could..." Jonny answered, although it was clear he wasn't a fan of the idea. "But don't you think it would be better if we went and got a flashlight before trying to look inside of it?" he asked as his eyes wandered back to the gaping sunless hole of the pipe.
"..." Plank countered as Jonny took his eyes away from the pipe and looked back at Plank.
"I guess you're right... one peek wouldn't hurt, would it?" Jonny rationalized before returning his gaze to the pipe. He was still a little unsure of the idea, the thought of a wild animal lurking within still unnerving him, but he remembered all the sound advice Plank had offered in the past, and so he finally overcame his misgivings and began to creep slowly toward the pipe. As he slowly moved toward the pipe, it almost felt like something was watching him; he didn't know if that something felt like it was within the pipe, or if it felt like the pipe itself was watching him as he drew closer and closer to its gaping maw. Jonny stopped only a few feet from the pipe and stared inside of the darkness, which seemed to be almost seeping out around the edges of the opening of the pipe. The hole was a little bigger than Jonny was; he could only imagine what the pipe could've possibly been made for.
"..." Plank recommended in a quiet yet excited tone.
"There's no way I'm going in there, Plank," Jonny answered as he stared into the pipe. "It's too dark to see anything anyhow, so we should probably head back to our house and get that flashlight," he reasoned before looking over at Plank.
"..." Plank answered, finally defeated.
"Aw, don't be like that; I promise we'll come back right after we get the flashlight, alright?" Jonny assured Plank.
"..." Plank replied cheerfully.
"Alright then, let's get moving!" Jonny declared before turning away from the pipe, the grass swirling around his legs as he did so. He took a step away from the pipe.
"Please..." a voice suddenly moaned from behind him. Jonny froze in his tracks and a chill ran up his spine. All sound seemed to stop around him, as if hushing up at the horrible voice that had echoed out from behind him. He listened closely, his eyes wide in fear. He didn't just hear what he had heard, had he? It almost sounded like someone had just said something from within the pipe. He gulped and slowly began to turn around, trying his best to ignore a fear that was churning in his brain and pleading with him to run. He finally turned around and his eyes locked onto the black of the pipe. He stood there for what seemed like minutes staring into the pipe, his ears perked up and listening closely for even the slightest whisper.
"..." Plank asked in a hushed tone.
"No... no, I heard it too," Jonny answered in a low and shaky voice. Even Plank had heard the voice, and that scared him even more: now he couldn't just blame it on the wind or some random forest animal. It seemed like whatever had made the noise that sounded eerily similar to a human voice, however, was gone; there was nothing in the pipe, nor a living thing anywhere near it. Jonny let a breath of air escape his lips as he began to calm down. "I guess it was just an animal or something," he reasoned as Plank nodded, although Plank obviously still had his reservations. Jonny began to turn away from the pipe, taking his eyes off of it. "Now let's just get going-"
"...!" Plank exclaimed in a frightened tone as he stared back into the pipe. Jonny whirled around and gazed into the pipe, not believing what Plank claimed he had saw. He soon believed, however, as he stared into the darkness. Two beady yellow eyes stared back at him from within the pipe; they almost seemed to glow with some sort of inner luminescence. The yellow eyes were unmoving and unblinking, and simply gazed into Jonny's eyes, no readable emotions able to be drawn from them. His throat closed up as he continued to stare at the eyes, his entire body locked in a cold frenzy of fear. He could feel another chill working its way up his back, making the hairs on his body stand on end.
"Don't be scared..." a soft voice echoed out from within the pipe. Jonny didn't know why, but his fearful state began to melt away at the voice, which suddenly seemed so caring and gentle. Still, the fear was there, and he still wasn't exactly sure what this thing in the pipe was.
"Who... who are you?" Jonny asked as he felt his ability to speak come back. The thing in the pipe seemed to ponder Jonny's question for a moment, although its eyes never left Jonny's; it was almost as if it was peering into the inside of his brain through his eye sockets.
"I'm a friend," the voice resounded from within the pipe. Jonny stood there silently, a little shocked at the answer.
"A... friend?" Jonny asked, a bit taken aback. "But... but I've only just met you," he answered.
"..." Plank recommended, not wanting to stick around the pipe and the strange being that lived within it any longer.
"Now, now, Plank, I simply want to talk to Jonny," the being answered softly. Jonny's mouth fell open.
"How... how do you know our names?" Jonny asked as he embraced Plank tightly, fear beginning to well up inside of him once again.
"I know a lot of things about you, Jonny..." the being claimed. "I know that you've been searching for a friend... a real friend... and that's why I'm here," the being explained, its voice echoing from within the confines of the pipe. Jonny contemplated what the thing in the pipe was telling him: it was there to be his friend? He suddenly realized that this thing in the pipe must be the answer to his prayers about having another friend besides Plank to hang out with.
"But... but how do I know you're not just saying that?" Jonny asked as his grip on Plank loosened a little. The being chuckled lightly.
"Don't you trust me, Jonny?" the being asked. "I know that we've only just met, but how else would I know so much about you, hmm?" the being questioned; its eyes shifted around a little in the darkness of the pipe, leaving yellow trails behind them as they moved around. Jonny didn't know what to think anymore: here he was, out in the middle of the woods, and a strange creature that didn't even seem human was telling him that it was sent to be his friend. It was almost too much for Jonny to take in; his head felt like it was going to explode if he thought about it any longer. He finally came to a decision and sighed.
"Tell ya what," Jonny began as he cleared his throat. "You sit tight here and I'll go back to my place and get a flashlight so I can get a better look at you," he explained as he smiled at the being in the pipe. "Does that sound good? I mean, after all, we can't really be friends if I don't even know what you look like, right?" he reasoned. The being in the pipe fell quiet for a moment, but finally spoke up after a few moments of silence.
"If you must, then you can," the being answered, although it sounded a bit apprehensive. Jonny began to turn away, but the being spoke up once again. "But first, I would very much like it if you could touch my hand," the being revealed as Jonny turned back to face it.
"But why?" Jonny asked as he raised his eyebrow. "Do you mean like a handshake or something?" he questioned further.
"Why, yes! A handshake... you know, to show that we're pals," the being replied before chuckling. "So what do you say, friend? A hearty handshake to friendship?" the being said cheerfully as it stuck its hand out. Jonny could just barely see the outline of its hand hovering in the air at the end of the pipe, and it seemed to be relatively humanoid in shape. He wasn't completely sure if this being, whatever it happened to be, was trustworthy, but it seemed to be nice enough, and he would feel like a jerk turning down as simple a request as a handshake, especially one that was dedicated to friendship. He slowly stepped back toward the pipe, each step feeling like heavy stones were tied to the bottom of his feet. Something inside of him told him not to come any closer to the pipe, but he fought against the voice, wanting so desperately to believe that he had just scored himself a new friend. Jonny began to extend his hand toward the darkness of the pipe where the being's own hand was waiting for him.
"What's that, buddy?" Jonny suddenly said aloud as his hand stopped literally inches from the being's hand. "Plank says he wants to give you a handshake first!" he exclaimed before shoving Plank toward the being's hand.
"Wai-" the being began to say, but quickly fell silent the second Plank made contact with its hand. Jonny suddenly felt vibrations moving through Plank's body, although they were far too rapid too be a handshake; it almost felt like Plank was being electrocuted the vibrations were so violent. The being's hand suddenly withdrew into the darkness, and Jonny pulled Plank away, not really sure of what had just happened. He stared into the darkness of the pipe, and he could still see the being's floating yellow eyes within the pipe, which seemed to stare at him sadly.
"What just happened?" Jonny asked as he looked at the being and then to Plank. The being made some kind of sad squealing noise, and Jonny took a few steps back away from the pipe. "Uh... well, look, I'm going to go get that flashlight and I'll be right back, okay?" he explained as he smiled nervously. The being once again made the squealing noise, and Jonny couldn't help but slap his hands over his ears the noise was so unbearable. "I'll be back!" he exclaimed before gripping Plank tightly and running off away from the pipe. The being moaned after him, but Jonny didn't stop; he ran out of the clearing and through the woods, both scared and excited. He didn't know why the being wasn't really talking to him anymore, but he just knew he had to find out what it looked like. After all, if it wanted to be his friend, he'd have to at least know that much about it.
"Now let's go get that flashlight, buddy!" Jonny said cheerfully as he and Plank reentered the cul-de-sac. He ran up the sidewalk as fast as his feet would carry him, hoping to retrieve the flashlight and be back in as short of an amount of time as possible.
"Hold on, Jonny," Plank suddenly spoke up, breaking his cone of silence that he had been in ever since he shook the being's hand. Jonny stopped in his tracks and looked down at Plank.
"What is it, Plank?" Jonny asked, curious as to why Plank chose now to say something.
"I'm thinking that we should put this whole thing with our friend in the pipe on hold," Plank suggested as Jonny stared at him confusion.
"I don't understand... why would we do that?" Jonny questioned, not understanding why Plank would make such a suggestion. "I mean, our friend is waiting on us, we can't just leave him hanging!" he pointed out.
"Yes, yes, I know, but I really think that we should take a while to think about what it is we're doing here, Jonny," Plank explained. "I mean, we don't even know where this thing came from or what it is... really, we would be better off simply forgetting about it and going on with our day," he reasoned as he stared up at Jonny. He didn't understand why Plank was saying this; Jonny knew that Plank was a little scared at first of meeting their new friend, but now Plank honestly seemed like he didn't want anything to do with it.
"I know we don't really know it that well, but that thing seemed really nice and I don't want to hurt its feelings," Jonny countered.
"I'm not saying we never have to go back..." Plank answered before sighing. "I'm simply saying that we should at least wait until tomorrow before going back to the pipe so that we have time to think it over," he explained eloquently. "I'm sure our friend in the pipe will understand, don't you?" he asked, wanting to know if Jonny was on board with him on this one. Jonny mulled it over, torn between listening to his best friend and the fear of losing his new friend.
"Well... you've never steered me wrong before, Plank, so I guess we'll go ahead and wait until tomorrow before going to see it again," Jonny responded before smiling. "Anyway, since we're gonna wait until tomorrow to go see what our new friend looks like, why don't we head back to our place and hang out?" he suggested excitedly. "Our mom just bought a new flavor of pudding, and I've been dying to try it," he explained further.
"Sure... sure, let's go ahead and do that..." Plank answered, although he certainly didn't seem thrilled by the idea. With that, Jonny strolled toward his house, thoughts of the fun he was going to have today as well as tomorrow swirling around in his head.
Jonny hid behind his couch, his heart thumping with fear and excitement. He was tempted to peek around the side of the couch and scan the area, but he knew he would be spotted if he did so. The temptation began to look grow too great, however, and he soon peeked his head out from behind his couch and looked around the room. His eyes locked onto the doorway to his kitchen, which had beads hanging down from the top of it. He was almost sure Plank was looking for him in there. Something suddenly hit Jonny on top of his head, bounced off, and then thudded on the floor right in front of him. He rubbed his head in pain and then smiled down at Plank, who smiled back. "Oh, Plank, you dog you, I can never beat you at hide n' seek, can I?" he asked as he snatched Plank and then stood up.
"Yes, it's been a lot of fun playing hide n' seek, as well as eating that pudding, Jonny," Plank answered in an exasperated tone. "But I honestly think it's about time that we take a break and relax for a while," he suggested as he smiled up at Jonny.
"But why? I mean, we're having fun, aren't we?" Jonny asked, Plank once again confusing him with a strange suggestion.
"Oh, don't get me wrong, it's been buckets of fun playing, but I'm a bit tired after all the stuff we've gone through today, and I think we just need to sit back and take some time to contemplate about our day," Plank clarified as Jonny's thin line of a mouth slowly curled into a smile.
"Wow, Plank, I never knew you were into meditation!" Jonny answered as he perked up. "Every other time I suggested it, you always said it was boring!" Plank chuckled.
"Yes, I know, but today has been really weird and I feel that we need to reflect upon it," Plank told Jonny. "So how about we go sit in front of our window and stare out at the deep blue sky and see how it makes us feel, hmm?" he advised.
"Sounds soothing, let's give it a try!" Jonny responded enthusiastically before running over to their window and getting down on his knees in front of it. He held Plank so that he could see out of the window, and then the two of them sat there in silence, both of them thinking about and looking at something completely different. Jonny stared up at the blue sky as Plank had suggested, his eyes moving from its infinite void of blue and to the puffy white clouds that slowly hovered by. Plank's attention, however, was completely focused on the group of kids that played in the middle of the cul-de-sac. Plank's eyes started on Jimmy, who was running around his yard. His eyes then moved to the person who was chasing Jimmy, Sarah; she giggled as she tried her best to catch Jimmy so that he would be It. His eyes then wandered over to Nazz, who was lounging in a fold-up chair that was placed in her yard. She held a tanning mirror up to her face, and she seemed to be lost in a world of her own. His eyes darted over to Rolf as he saw the tall boy kick a soccer ball with all his might toward the other end of the cul-de-sac.
"Yes..." Plank muttered under his breath as he stared at Rolf, low enough that Jonny couldn't hear him. Rolf seemed like the perfect specimen: he was tall, strong, obviously tough, and- "Who is that?" he whispered to himself as his eyes locked onto the person that Rolf had kicked the ball to. The boy had a red hat on, a green shirt, black shorts, and sneakers. Plank analyzed the boy closely, and watched as he caught the ball with his feet and kicked it upwards, bouncing it off of his head and back towards Rolf. Plank smiled deviously. He looked strong. He looked athletic. He looked confident. Most of all, he was a leader that everyone looked up to in the cul-de-sac. Kevin, you shall be mine Plank thought to himself, his eyes still locked onto his prize.
Jonny sat up in his bed and stretched his arms upward before yawning. He then looked around his room, which was illuminated by the early morning light. He looked down beside him towards Plank, expecting to see him asleep; he was surprised to see that Plank was already up. "Wow, Plank, you're usually still asleep when I get up..." he commented as he picked Plank up and looked at him closely.
"Don't worry, I just didn't feel like sleeping very much," Plank answered before grinning. "But how about we stop lollygagging about in bed and get up and at 'em, Jonny?" he suggested, wanting to get up and moving as soon as possible.
"Good idea, we wanna make the most out of today, don't we?" Jonny answered as he threw his blanket off and scooted towards the edge of his bed. "After all, we've gotta get out there and meet our new friend!" he added. Plank looked up nervously at Jonny, who had hopped off of his bed and carried him over to a basket that was hanging over a hole in Jonny's floor.
"Well, wait, before we do that, we need to get energized with a fulfilling breakfast," Plank remarked as Jonny climbed into the basket.
"Always thinking about food, huh, Plank?" Jonny teased as he began to lower the basket towards the first floor of his house. "But don't sweat it, we're gonna stuff our faces with our favorite cereal in the whole world: Chunky Puffs!" he announced as he hopped out of the basket once it reached the floor and made a beeline for the kitchen. Jonny was excited beyond belief; he could just imagine all the cool things he and Plank would be able to do after breakfast when they headed back to the clearing to play with their new friend. He walked up to his kitchen table and sat Plank down at it. He then walked over to the counter and grabbed a box of Chunky Puffs out of a cabinet.
"Say, Jonny..." Plank began as Jonny got two bowls and two spoons out and sat them on the counter.
"Yeah?" Jonny asked as he went over to the fridge and opened it up, light spilling out of it and illuminating his form.
"I was thinking that maybe we should... ya know... go talk to Kevin before we went out to see our new friend," Plank suggested. Jonny, whose hand was inches from grabbing on to the milk, froze at Plank's suggestion, this one even stranger than the last two. Jonny slowly turned his head to face Plank, who was staring at him nervously. Plank's mentioning of Kevin made him remember how rude he had been to him the day before, and it was not a memory he really wanted to dwell on. In fact, Plank should've known not to bring something like that up. A day or two more, and Jonny would've forgotten all about it and moved on past it, but Plank had dug up the memory so soon that the feeling of bitterness he had gotten from Kevin came washing back over him.
"Now why in the world would I want to do that?" Jonny asked as he grabbed the milk and pulled it out of the fridge. "Kevin wasn't very nice to me last time we talked... you remember, don't you?" he questioned as he closed his fridge and walked back over to the bowls on the counter, although his steps felt unsure; an uneasiness had settled over him about Plank. He had been acting very strange ever since their encounter with the being in the pipe the day before, and it was clear that whatever had happened had done something odd to Plank.
"Yes, I remember how high and mighty Kevin acted yesterday... how could I forget?" Plank asked before clearing his throat. "But I just thought that we could go and speak with him to clear the air," he explained as Jonny sat the milk down on the counter and reached for the box of chunky puffs. Jonny thought about what Plank was saying as he popped open the top of the cereal and began to pour it in one of the bowls, its contents quickly filling the bowl to about a third full before he lifted it up, stopping the flow of cereal.
"Even if I did go talk to Kevin, he'd probably just act like a jerk toward me again," Jonny answered as he began to pour cereal into the other bowl. "I think it's better just to wait a few days before going to talk to him... then maybe he'll be out of his sour mood, ya know?" he laid out as he stopped pouring cereal into the second bowl. Plank fell silent for a moment as he thought of what he should say next, Jonny's resistance of what he was telling him they should do unnerving him a bit.
"I can see your point, Jonny," Plank responded as he watched Jonny close up the box of Chunky Puffs and set it to the side. "But I also want to give Kevin a piece of my mind about the way he treated you," he clarified as his tone gained a bit of anger in it. "I want to let him know that the way he talked to you wasn't okay," he elaborated further. Jonny nodded in agreement as he began to pour milk into one of the bowls.
"Maybe you're right, Plank," Jonny began before sighing. "I guess it's about time someone said something to Kevin about the way he treats people... I just hope he doesn't flip out and try to lay his hands on you or something," he said in a worried tone as he looked over at his best buddy. Plank smiled eerily before snickering.
"Oh, I hope with all my heart that he doesn't," Plank answered sinisterly as Jonny finished pouring the milk into both bowls.
Jonny closed his front door behind him before turning around and looking out into the cul-de-sac, Plank tucked securely under his arm. He scanned the cul-de-sac with his eyes, searching for a particular boy with a red cap. He didn't see Kevin anywhere, but he did see Rolf dragging a brown sack across his yard next door, his biceps bulging at the great weight of whatever was contained inside. "Well, I don't see Kevin, so maybe we should go ask Rolf where he is," Jonny suggested before looking down at Plank, who seemed to be growing impatient.
"Alright, if we must, but let's hurry," Plank said in an urgent tone. Jonny began to move toward Rolf, who was still struggling to lug the huge sack across his yard.
"I don't understand why we're in such a hurry," Jonny commented as he made his way down the sidewalk of the cul-de-sac, and to Rolf's house, although it was a short trek. He stopped at the edge of Rolf's yard and looked down at Plank.
"Well, I just thought you wanted to get this over with so we could meet our new friend," Plank answered. "But if you want, we can take all the time in the world..." he trailed off.
"No, no, you're right, Plank," Jonny answered before looking up at Rolf.
"Burdening sack of fresh potatoes, Rolf will show you who is-"
"Hey, Rolf, how's it going?" Jonny asked, causing Rolf to stop complaining and look over at him; the sack had left a trench in the dirt from its weight dragging across the ground.
"Ah, hello, Jonny the wood boy, how do you do this fine day?" Rolf asked as he let go of the sack and dusted off his hands.
"I'm doing just fine, Rolf," Jonny replied before grinning. "Do you need any help with-"
"Forget the sack, Jonny, just ask Rolf where Kevin is," Plank demanded impatiently, causing Jonny to look down at him with a slightly shocked expression.
"Fine, Plank, but I was just trying to be neighborly," Jonny answered before looking back up at Rolf. "Uh... Rolf, you wouldn't happen to know where Kevin is, would you?" he asked as Rolf scratched his head.
"If Rolf's memory serves him well, hotshot Kevin went to the field of discarded scrap to find a new bike chain," Rolf answered as Jonny nodded.
"So that means Kevin must be at the junkyard..." Plank thought aloud before looking up at Jonny. "Alright, Jonny, let's get moving before he finds that bike chain and leaves," he ordered, causing Jonny to sigh. Plank was being unusually bossy today; not to say that Plank wasn't usually very pushy, but it was getting ridiculous at how desperate Plank was to go see Kevin.
"Thanks Rolf, and good luck with those potatoes!" Jonny said before waving to Rolf and beginning to walk away. Rolf nodded at him and then turned back to the sack of potatoes, which were sitting there, seemingly taunting him.
"Rolf is back, potato sack, and this time Rolf will show no mercy!" Rolf proclaimed before gripping the sack tightly by the top and heaving it towards him, causing it to once again begin dragging across the ground.
"I don't understand why we couldn't just help Rolf with those potatoes," Jonny commented as he and Plank made their way towards the Junkyard. "I mean, I know you want to set Kevin and straight and everything, but it would've only taken a second to-"
"I understand that you wanted to help Rolf, Jonny, I really do," Plank began. "But you have to remember that Rolf is an individualist; he probably would've turned down your offer to help anyway," he explained as Jonny listened intently.
"I guess so..." Jonny replied absentmindedly; he didn't want to say anything to Plank, but he was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. Plank had already been acting so bossy and strange, but now he was talking in a very weird way as well. He hadn't noticed it at first, but Plank really wasn't acting like himself at all. It was as if he had traded personalities with someone or something. This Plank was very proper, formal, and unnaturally kind, while the old Plank was out-going and no-nonsense. Something wasn't right. Jonny shrugged off these thoughts as he and Plank finally arrived at the junkyard. He looked past the chain link fence that surrounded the junkyard and into the dark mountains of trash, his eyes searching for Kevin.
"What are we waiting for, Jonny?" Plank asked, once again growing impatient. "We're not going to find Kevin standing around out here, so we better get in there and find him," he remarked as Jonny sighed. He was growing tired of Plank's impatience, but he was once again hesitant to say anything. After all, maybe Plank just really wanted to get what he had to say off of his chest?
"Right," Jonny answered simply before walking over to the entrance to the junkyard and walking inside. He stopped a few feet in and looked around. He saw piles of old cars, their headlights missing or hanging out. He saw old thrown away appliances, such as a huge dryer that had its door barely hanging on by its hinges. He saw dozens of old cans and bottles strewn about and piled up at the bases of the huge stacks of junk. His ears were listening closely for the sounds of someone moving through the junkyard, but he heard nothing. He began to walk slowly through the junkyard, his eyes still searching for any sign of Kevin.
"He's gotta be around here somewhere..." Plank commented as he too searched the area with his eyes, which moved over the many different forms of trash quickly.
"I guess we just gotta keep looking," Jonny answered as he tucked Plank under his arm and began to climb up a pile of junk. "We'll get a better view from up here," he said as continued to scale the huge trash heap, trying his best to reach the peak. He finally pulled himself up onto the top of the heap and stood up. He wiped some dirt off of his shirt and picked a dirty banana peel off of his pants before gazing down at the many paths that spread throughout the junkyard like veins. "I would say this is a beautiful view if this wasn't the junkyard," he commented as he continued to look around. He couldn't help but think about the fact that the junkyard provided a strong contrast the beautiful forest that he was in only a day before. His eyes scanned every nook and cranny of the junkyard, but he still couldn't locate Kevin. He was almost ready to give up, thinking that perhaps Kevin had moved on from the junkyard.
"I see him!" Plank suddenly exclaimed, causing Jonny to whirl around. Sure enough, Kevin stood a few dozen yards away digging through a pile of scrap and old bike parts. Jonny simply stared at him for a few moments, debating whether or not he should approach him. As much as he wanted to see Plank chew him out, he wasn't exactly excited to talk to Kevin again. He knew that he had to get over it and soldier on, however, so he began to walk down the pile of junk, this side of the giant heap being considerably less steep. He hopped off of the edge of the pile of junk and continued to move towards Kevin, who was turned away from him and Plank, too busy tossing aside old bike seats and tires to notice their presence. He stopped a few feet away from Kevin and watched him silently, debating whether or not this was a good idea at all.
"What are you waiting for?" Plank asked as his eyes looked Kevin over, a dark desire hidden behind them. "Get his attention," he commanded. Jonny felt like saying no and walking away, but Plank seemed so adamant about this that he was honestly a bit scared to see how Plank would react if he did. Jonny sucked in a breath of air, preparing himself for whatever was about to happen.
"Hey, Kevin," Jonny greeted, causing Kevin to jump a little and drop a rusty pedal that he had been holding on to. Kevin turned around to face him; Jonny wasn't happy to see that he had a deep scowl on his face. It was obvious that he wasn't in the mood to be bothered, especially not by Jonny. Upon seeing that it was just Jonny, Kevin rolled his eyes.
"What do you want?" Kevin asked in a ticked off tone before turning back around and continuing to dig around.
"Uh... well..." Jonny stuttered, feeling like he should just leave while he still had the chance.
"Go ahead, tell him that I have something to say to him," Plank ordered, although he seemed to be just as irritated as Kevin. Jonny could feel the pressure from Plank's words, and once again caved in to his demands.
"Plank wanted to tell you something," Jonny answered as he held Plank up. Kevin stopped what he was doing and once again turned around to face Jonny. Kevin stared at Plank, an annoyed expression on his face.
"Look, I don't have time to talk to you, or your stupid piece of wood," Kevin replied. "Dork, dork, and dorky ruined my bike chain with a dumb cleaning service scam, and now I have to find a new one," he explained as he crossed his arms.
"It'll only take a second, Kevin," Jonny responded, causing Kevin to sigh and slide his hand down his face.
"Fine, I'll listen to Plank," Kevin answered, although it was clear he still thought this was a waste of time. Jonny looked down at Plank.
"Alright, buddy, tell him what you have to say," Jonny said as Plank gathered his thoughts.
"Very well then, Jonny, but remember that you have to tell him what I say," Plank replied as Jonny nodded. "Kevin, I am not pleased with how you treated Jonny yesterday," he began as Jonny looked back at Kevin.
"Plank says he's not very happy with how you treated me yesterday," Jonny relayed before looking back down at Plank. Kevin's scowl deepened, but he decided to keep listening.
"And I just thought you should you know that you're nothing but an idiot with the chin the size of a dump truck," Plank said further, Jonny looking back up at Kevin to relay the information.
"And Plank wants you to know that- Wait, what?" Jonny exclaimed before looking back down at Plank. "That's not very nice, Plank!" he chided.
"What did that little piece of termite food say?" Kevin questioned as his fists curled into balls, anger welling up inside of him.
"Doesn't matter whether it was nice or not, I want you to repeat it to Kevin," Plank commanded, Jonny's face scrunching up.
"I can't do that, it's mean!" Jonny responded, still not understanding why Plank would want him to say something so mean-spirited to Kevin.
"I said to tell him what I said right now, Jonny," Plank demanded as Jonny shook his head.
"No way, I thought you came out here to set Kevin straight, not insult him!" Jonny answered as Kevin looked on, a furious expression on his face.
"That's it, Jonny, stop playing around here!" Kevin shouted as he stepped toward Jonny, who took a step back. "I don't care what Plank said about me, all I know is that you're annoying me and it's about time you got lost before I have to hurt you!" he yelled as he smacked his fist into the palm of his hand. Jonny gulped and held Plank up in front of him like a wall.
"Please don't be mad at me, Kevin, I'll leave right away," Jonny answered as he continued to back away.
"Good choice, Jonny," Kevin commented as he began to wind down. "Now hurry up and scram, I've got a bike chain to find," he added before turning back around. Jonny sighed with relief and began to turn around, happy that he avoided making Kevin any angrier.
"I guess I'll just go back to your place, Kevin, and spend a little time with your mom," Plank suddenly said, causing Kevin to whirl around in confusion. Jonny stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened as he stared down at Plank. Kevin looked at Plank for a moment and then at Jonny, still not believing what he had just heard.
"What did you just say, Jonny?" Kevin asked, his voice dark and brooding. Jonny gulped and looked over at Kevin. Jonny couldn't believe this; did Plank just say something that someone else could actually hear?
"It... it wasn't me, it was Plank!" Jonny exclaimed as he pointed down at his wooden friend.
"Don't screw around with me, twerp, Plank is just a piece of wood, he can't talk!" Kevin shouted as he rolled up his sleeves. "But I'm looking at a dork who can, and he just said something that he's about to regret!" he seethed as his fists once again curled up.
"Wait, Kevin, I swear it wasn't me!" Jonny whined as he began to back away from Kevin, whose face was scrunched up in fury.
"Say that one more time, baldy, and I'll make sure to give you two black eyes instead of one!" Kevin countered as he lifted up his arm, ready to sock Jonny right in the face. Jonny looked away, squeezed his eyes shut, and held Plank up as a shield.
"Don't hurt me!" Jonny pleaded as he felt his back hit a pile of junk. There was no where to run or hide now; Kevin was going to pound the crap out of him and there was nothing he could do about it.
"Throw me at him, Jonny!" Plank demanded as he stared at the fuming jock that was methodically stepping towards Jonny, wanting him to cower as long as possible before the pain began.
"I can't, Plank..." Jonny whispered back.
"It's my fault he's mad at us, now just throw me at him!" Plank shouted, getting angry that Jonny wasn't obeying his command.
"I won't do it!" Jonny suddenly yelled, causing Kevin to stop in his tracks and stare at him in confusion.
"Shut up, Jonny, and take your pounding like a man!" Kevin hollered, his anger at Jonny growing exponentially every second.
"If you won't do it..." Plank began as he began to vibrate in Jonny's hands. Jonny opened his eyes and looked up at Plank; not only had Plank spoken so that someone else could hear him, but now he was moving on his own! He stared up in shock as the vibrations grew more and more violent.
"Wha..." Kevin muttered as he stared at Plank in bewilderment. "What's the big idea, Jonny?" he asked as he continued to gaze at the shaking piece of wood in Jonny's hands, unsure of what exactly he was doing.
"Then I will!" Plank suddenly screamed aloud before flying out of Jonny's hands and straight at Kevin.
"What the heck?" Kevin yelped as he watched as Plank came sailing out of Jonny's grip and straight towards him. He jumped out of the way in the nick of time and landed on an old dirty mattress. Plank rapidly lost altitude and soon crashed into the hard dirt where Kevin had once stood. Kevin flipped over on the mattress and looked over at the piece of wood, which was laying face down on the ground a few meters away. Jonny did nothing but stand with his back up against the trash heap behind him, his eyes locked onto Plank. He didn't know what was going on anymore. Plank had never showed that he had the ability to talk to others or move on his own before, but here he was doing both at the same time. Kevin slowly stood up, his eyes still locked onto Plank. He climbed off of the mattress and dusted off his back with his hands before looking over at Jonny. Jonny's eyes left Plank and wandered over to Kevin's face, which bore a look of unbridled rage.
"Wait... wait, Kevin, that wasn't me and you know it!" Jonny wailed as he pressed his back firmly against the trash heap behind him.
"Shut your trap, Jonny!" Kevin demanded, his voice uneven and his arms shaking at his sides. "First you have the nerve to say something about my mom, and then you're gonna throw things at me?" he screamed as he stomped toward Jonny, his fist raised high. "Now you're gonna get the pounding of the lifetime, you dor-"
"Kevin, look out!" Jonny shouted as he leaped forward and wrapped his arms around Kevin.
"Get offa me ya-" Kevin began to yell, but quickly stopped when he got the air knocked out of him from hitting the ground. The two of them slid slightly across the dirt and stopped. Kevin was about to start beating on Jonny, but his entire body froze up when he saw Plank sail over them and hit the pile of trash that Jonny was up against only seconds ago. Plank impacted against the pile of junk and then fell backwards; he landed perfectly on his bottom facing Kevin, who stared back at him, his eyes wild with fear.
"I told you it was Plank, Kev-" Jonny began but was quickly silenced when Kevin shoved him away towards Plank. Kevin leaped to his feet as Jonny fell backwards, landing next to Plank on his bottom. Jonny looked up at Kevin, who was still staring at Plank, his face as white as a ghost.
"You stay away from me, you freak!" Kevin shouted before whirling around running off and into the maze of junk, the sounds of his feet pounding on the dirt echoing throughout the junkyard. Jonny stared after the frightened boy as he disappeared behind a pile of rusty cars. His gaze soon wandered over to Plank, who was standing next to him. Plank suddenly turned a little and faced him, his happy expression unchanged by what had just occurred. Jonny and Plank simply stared at each other for a moment longer before Jonny finally found the courage to speak up.
"You're... you're... you're not Plank!" Jonny exclaimed before jumping to his feet and backing off, his eyes still fixated on the piece of wood that stood only feet from him.
"An astute observation, my friend. I was wondering just how long it would take your little pea-brain to finally figure it out," Plank answered in a degrading tone.
"Yeah, well this pea-brain has had enough of this, whoever you are!" Jonny shot back as he crossed his arms. "Now tell me what you did with Plank!" he ordered loudly. He didn't know what this thing that had taken over Plank's body was or what it wanted, but all he knew was that he wanted his friend back.
"Why, Jonny, even a person as dull-minded as you should be able to figure out who I am," Plank replied snidely. "After all, you were the one who wanted a new friend and came wandering into my humble alcove out in the woods," he explained as Jonny's eyes widened.
"Then you're that thing that was in the pipe!" Jonny exclaimed as he held his hands up to his face in horror. "But if you're in Plank's body... then that means you weren't going to give me a handshake, you were trying to steal my body!" he yelped as realization came washing over him. Plank chuckled lightly at his reaction, finding it amusing.
"Indeed I was, Jonny," Plank responded before sighing. "You see, I had been stuck in that particular pipe for what had seemed like ages... the last creature that I had switched bodies with forgot to tell me that he had an abhorrent reaction to light, and thus I was stuck in that pipe every day and every night, even the meager light from the moon being too much for that stupid creature's body to handle," he revealed as Jonny listened closely. "When you came along, I saw it as a chance to finally escape my dim prison, but you, being the annoying bilge sucker that you are, decided that your stupid wooden friend Plank deserved to touch me first. Thus, I am stuck in this abhorrent rotting body until I can find another vessel," he explained further as Jonny shook his head in disappointment.
"You're nothing but a no-good body snatching monster," Jonny chided in disgust. "But I don't get why you didn't just switch bodies with me as soon as you were in Plank's body... after all, I've been holding onto you this whole time," he said as he stared down at Plank.
"Yes, the thought of simply jumping into your body did cross my mind..." Plank answered. "But I decided to simply let you carry me back here to the cul-de-sac, where I knew much better prizes awaited appraisal... and I have to say, that Kevin boy is perhaps the best specimen that this backwater town has to offer. I mean, not only is he strong and healthy, but he is well-respected by the people of this neighborhood and is seen as a leader by the other kids," he went on as he savored the thought of finally jumping into Kevin's body. A scowl formed on Jonny's face; he was fed up with this body snatcher's horrid behavior.
"Well keep dreaming, buddy, because I'm not going to let you get Kevin!" Jonny announced as his fists curled up. Plank stared up at him in annoyance.
"Come now, Jonny, think this through," Plank said as he gathered his thoughts. "Sure, you could try to stop me, although you'd most certainly fail, but aren't you forgetting just how nasty and rude Kevin has been to you today?" he questioned as Jonny looked at him in suspicion. "Wouldn't it be sweet, sweet justice if you helped me get into his body and made it so that he has to spend the rest of his life stuck in the body of a wooden board?" he prodded further.
"I can't do that... not only is that horrible, but that still doesn't help me get my best friend back!" Jonny shouted at the small wooden board.
"Listen, Jonny, if you help me out, I'll help you out..." Plank offered. "If you assist me with Kevin, then I will help retrieve your friend, who is still stuck inside of the body of that creature in the pipe," he revealed.
"You... you can do that?" Jonny asked, a little shocked at the revelation. "But... but what about Kevin? What will happen to him?" he asked, although in the back of his mind he knew what this body snatcher's answer would be.
"Simple: Kevin will live out his days shriveling in that old dirty pipe out in the woods," Plank replied before laughing sinisterly. "An appropriate ending for him, don't you agree?" he asked. Jonny gulped down some saliva as he stared hopelessly at Plank. He didn't know what to do now. He wanted so desperately to save the real Plank from having to live the rest of his life inside of a pipe, but he also didn't want to essentially kill Kevin and allow this creature to replace him. Jonny sucked in a big breath of air.
"There's no way I can do it..." Jonny answered, although his voice was low and unsure. "Kevin doesn't deserve that kind of fate..." he trailed off as Plank sighed, his impatience with the good-natured boy growing rapidly.
"If that's the way you feel about it, then I suppose your friend Plank will just have to wonder why his best friend never came back to save him..." Plank trailed off as Jonny uncurled his fists.
"Look... I just... can't..." Jonny whimpered as tears began to form in his eyes.
"Oh, but you can... and I promise it will be quick and painless..." Plank answered as he grinned up at Jonny. "Both for you and Kevin..." Tears began to spill down Jonny's face as thoughts bounced around in his head, each of them pounding hard against the inside of his head and giving him a throbbing headache. He couldn't do it... could he? Could he really be so desperate to save his friend Plank that he would sacrifice Kevin to do so? Plank simply continued to stare up at Jonny, who was in the middle of making the biggest and darkest decision of his life.
"Let's get this over with," Jonny suddenly said as he reached down and scooped Plank off of the ground, tears still sliding down his cheeks.
"That's what I like to hear... friend," Plank answered as the two of them made their way out of the junkyard and towards the cul-de-sac.
Kevin scrambled down the lane in a mad frenzy, desperate to put as much distance between him and the junkyard as possible. He had no idea what exactly had happened back there, but he wasn't about to find out. What he did know was that Plank had appeared to move on his own. But he wasn't even sure of that. He could've of been hallucinating; after all, he was still so angry at the Eds and Jonny that perhaps he had simply imagined it. But he didn't care; he was just going to run back to the cul-de-sac, which promised to bring normalcy back into his day. He rounded the corner and ran towards the entrance to the cul-de-sac as fast as he could, and he soon rounded the bend and began to slow his roll, wanting it to appear as if nothing was wrong with him. Kevin scanned the cul-de-sac quickly and saw that no one was outside. He knew that he had to find Rolf and Nazz; everything would become a lot better once he started hanging out with them. He began to walk towards Nazz's house, his breathing become more rhythmic by the second.
He had to have been imagining what he had seen. It hadn't happened. Either that, or Jonny had pulled some kind of trick to fool him or something. "That little jerk thinks he can pull one over on me..." Kevin seethed as he stopped on the sidewalk in front of Nazz's house. He looked like such an idiot running off like that. Not to mention the fact that he looked like a coward. He knew the next time he saw Jonny wasn't going to be pretty; he'd teach him a lesson for pulling some stunt like that. Kevin shook these thoughts off and began to take a step into Nazz's yard.
"Kevin!" someone suddenly called out from behind him. He whirled around and looked across the cul-de-sac at the source of the voice. It was Jonny. He was standing at the entrance of the cul-de-sac, Plank in hand. Kevin gritted his teeth. Jonny had the nerve to come looking for him, and now he was going to pay the price sooner than expected. Jonny began to walk across the cul-de-sac towards Kevin, who stood his ground defiantly.
"I'll give you this, Jonny, you're not as much of a coward as I thought you were," Kevin commented as Jonny drew closer and closer. "I thought a twerp like you woulda went off and hid after that crap you pulled back at the junkyard," he added, his voice surprisingly calm given how furious he was. Jonny gathered his courage as he came within yards of Kevin. This was it. This was the part where he did something he would most likely regret very much. But he had to do it for Plank. He had to save him.
"Look, me and Plank are really sorry about all that happened back there," Jonny answered before sighing heavily. "In fact, Plank feels really bad at how terrible he acted back there, and wanted to say he was sorry," he explained as Kevin rolled his eyes.
"Sure, blame it all on the piece of wood..." Kevin muttered.
"I'm not blaming it all on Plank... I accept some of the blame too. After all, I should've just left you alone. You were busy and you were also in a bad mood after dealing with the Eds," Jonny responded, causing Kevin to look at him suspiciously. Jonny was being surprisingly understanding and apologetic about all this, but Kevin knew he had to be on his toes.
"Fine... apology accepted, whatever," Kevin answered, happy this was all done and over with. "Now I'm going to go hang out with Rolf and Nazz, so I guess I'll see you around, Jonny," he added as he began to turn away.
"Hold on," Jonny suddenly said, causing Kevin to stop and look back at him. "Before you go, Plank wanted to give you a handshake... you know, to show you that everything is really good between us," he explained as Kevin stared at the two of them, a tinge of fear in him. His eyes wandered down to Plank, who was looking right back at him. Kevin knew this was probably just Jonny being nice, but he still couldn't shake the absolute terror he felt back at the junkyard when Plank went sailing through air, apparently by himself, and landed perfectly standing up. He felt stupid thinking this, but he didn't want to get anywhere near that board, let alone touch it.
"I'm good, Jonny," Kevin began, although his eyes were still on Plank. "I accepted your apology, that's all that's needed," he said further as he took a step back.
"Come on, just give him a handshake and then you can go hang out with your friends," Jonny said, although this time the kind tone in his voice seemed a little forced.
"I said I'm not doing it," Kevin responded, his voice a little angry.
"All Plank wants is a handshake... is that too much to ask for?" Jonny inquired.
"Yeah, yeah it is. Now scram, Jonny, I'm done with your weird crap today," Kevin replied as his fists balled up. Jonny didn't know what to do. Kevin wasn't nearly as easy to fool as he thought; Kevin knew something was up, and it was obvious getting him to touch Plank of his own volition wasn't going to work.
"This is a waste of time, Jonny," Plank said, breaking his silence. "Just throw me at him; it'll be over quickly, and then we can go get your friend Plank," he explained, tired of waiting to get into Kevin's body.
"But what if he dodges again?" Jonny asked as Kevin stared at the two of them in fear.
"Forget it then, Jonny, I'll do it myself. I don't know why I've been relying on you so much when I could make this all so much faster and easier," Plank answered as he suddenly began to vibrate in Jonny's hands again. Kevin backed up a few more steps at the familiar sight.
"Stop it, Jonny, this isn't going to work on me again," Kevin said, although his voice was unsure. He watched as Plank continued to shake, Jonny simply staring down at Plank with some unreadable expression. "I said to stop this crap, Jon- Whoa!" he shouted as Plank suddenly flew out of Jonny's hands and straight towards him for the second time that day. He sidestepped Plank, who went sailing past him. Plank landed with a thud on Nazz's lawn. Jonny looked over at Kevin, who he expected to try and pound him in anger. But once again Kevin proved that he wasn't a fool, and he kept his gaze on Plank.
"Please don't hurt me, Kevin," Jonny pleaded, hoping that Kevin would turn away from Plank for just one moment.
"Stop talking, Jonny... I don't know what's going on here, but I'm not falling for your tricks anymore," Kevin retorted furiously, his eyes still locked onto Plank. He felt a little dumb staring at Plank and expecting him to move, but he wasn't going to let Jonny get him again with this stupid trick.
"No tricks here, Kevin," Kevin heard a muffled voice say. His face drained of all color. The voice appeared to have come from Plank, who was still laying face down on the grass.
"Stop... stop this crap, Jonny," Kevin stuttered. "Stop throwing your voice, or whatever you're doing!" he added angrily, thinking it was all Jonny's doing; despite this, he refused to take his eyes off of Plank. Plank suddenly lifted himself off of the ground and spun around to face Kevin.
"What the heck?" Kevin yelped as he jumped backwards, almost losing balance and falling down onto the street.
"Jonny isn't throwing his voice, and he isn't pulling one over on you, my good friend," Plank revealed as he stared lustfully at Kevin. His eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as he gazed at Plank. He was standing on his own. He was moving on his own. And now he was talking on his own!
"What... How..." Kevin muttered fearfully, his mind unable to wrap around what he was seeing. He suddenly looked over at Jonny, who had a solemn and guilty expression on his face. Kevin didn't know what to say or what to ask him. This was almost unreal. Plank, seeing that Kevin was distracted, suddenly flung himself off of the ground and at Kevin. "Get away from me!" he shouted as he leaped away, seeing Plank's sneak attack out of the corner of his eye. Plank hit the street and rebounded off of it, and continued to fly after Kevin. "Call him off, Jonny!" he demanded as he stumbled away from Plank, who was right behind him. Jonny didn't answer, and just stared after the two of them. "Get him away from me, dang it!" he ordered. Kevin tripped up and began to crawl away from Plank, who was slowly moving through the air, almost like he was hovering.
"What's going on out here?" Jonny heard someone ask, causing him to whirl around. Nazz and Rolf stood at the entrance to Nazz's house, and they were both staring worryingly out into the cul-de-sac.
"Go back in your house!" Jonny ordered. They couldn't interfere with this. He had to get Plank back, and they weren't going to stand in his way.
"But I thought I heard- Oh my God!" Nazz cried in horror when she spotted Plank drifting slowly towards Kevin, who was crawling away on his back from Plank.
"What witchcraft is this?" Rolf asked, concerned. "How does the piece of wood move on its own?" he questioned further as he and Nazz suddenly bolted out of the doorway and across Nazz's yard. Jonny suddenly jumped in front of Rolf and Nazz, blocking their path.
"Get out of the way, Jonny, we have to help Kevin with... with... whatever's going on out there!" Nazz demanded, concern for Kevin dripping from every word. Jonny still stood defiantly in front of them, his arms outstretched.
"Jonny the wood boy, move out of our path or Rolf will be forced to wrestle you to the ground like a misbehaving pig!" Rolf shouted, wanting to get to Kevin and stop what was going on.
"Stay out of this!" Jonny demanded. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop them if they tried to physically get past him, but he just had to keep them busy long enough for body snatcher to switch bodies with Kevin. Then he and the being co
uld make up whatever stupid story they wanted to explain what was going on.
"Help me!" Kevin yelled as Plank drew closer and closer.
"I have been waiting for this moment for too long..." Plank said sinisterly as his eyes glowed a bright red. Kevin's voice choked up and he felt his entire body freeze at the sight. Jonny turned around and looked at Kevin and Plank, and watched as Plank slowly began to drift towards the completely immobile Kevin.
"Rolf has had enough of this foolishness! Rolf must help his friend!" Rolf suddenly shouted before shoving Jonny out of the way. He went tumbling to the ground, and Rolf and Nazz quickly shot past him and towards Kevin and Plank. Jonny rolled over and jumped to his feet, ready to go and stop Nazz and Rolf from interfering. He suddenly realized that they would likely try and smack Plank away from Kevin, meaning that the body snatcher would likely end up switching bodies with one of them.
"Wait, I'll do it!" Jonny called after them as he began to run full sprint after Rolf and Nazz, who drew closer and closer to Kevin and Plank. He put all of his energy in his legs, trying his best to beat Rolf and Nazz there.
"We're coming, Kev-" Nazz began to say as they reached him; Jonny suddenly shot past them and jumped toward Plank. He didn't know what he was doing. He should've just stayed out of it and let the being do what he wanted. But he suddenly realized that this was all wrong. He shouldn't be helping the body snatcher just to save his friend Plank. In fact, Plank would likely be ashamed of him if he learned he sacrificed Kevin, or anyone else, for that matter, just to get him back.
"You fool!" Plank shouted as Jonny crashed into him and wrapped his arms around him. The two of them went sailing over Kevin and into the hard asphalt, which scratched up Jonny's arms and tore at his clothes. Rolf and Nazz grabbed Kevin by the arms and yanked him to the feet, and the three of them watched as Jonny rolled around on the ground, apparently struggling with Plank.
"What... what's happening, Kevin?" Nazz asked, terrified. Kevin just stayed silent and continued to look on at Jonny, who was seemingly being dragged around on the ground by Plank.
"You will pay for interfering in my affairs, Jonny!" Plank seethed as Jonny, who was laying on his back, held him away from him and up into the air.
"No, please don't!" Jonny pleaded. He knew what was coming.
"Too late now, Jonny, your body is mine!" Plank shouted as Jonny suddenly felt Plank begin to vibrate again. He forced himself to his feet and tried to throw Plank away from him, but it was if Plank was attached to his fingers by glue.
"Augh!" Jonny shouted in pain; it felt like thousands of tiny needles were being forced into his hands.
"We have to help him!" Nazz proclaimed as she tried to step forward.
"No, Nazz, don't!" Kevin said as he grabbed onto Nazz's arm and yanked her back. Kevin didn't know what was going on, but he didn't want Nazz to get hurt. Jonny suddenly felt a ripping sensation running throughout his entire body; it was almost as if his spirit was being ripped out of its earthly vessel. He suddenly felt something forcing its way into his hands, seemingly coming from Plank. It felt hostile. It felt malicious. It felt evil. He suddenly realized that this was it: the body snatcher was switching bodies with him, and there was nothing he could do about it. He heard vile laughter echoing from seemingly nowhere. Tears began to form in his eyes. He was doomed. Jonny suddenly heard a voice from somewhere deep inside of him tell him that it wasn't over. He couldn't let it end here. He had to go on and save Plank, body snatcher or no body snatcher.
"No, I won't let you do this!" Jonny suddenly cried out as he lifted Plank up into the air.
"What are you doing?" Plank questioned fearfully, not understanding how Jonny was even moving.
"Eat knee, you son of a gun!" Jonny seethed, his grip on Plank tightening as pain shot through every fiber of his body.
"No, don't do-" was all Plank managed to get out as Jonny suddenly shot his arms downward. A huge cracking sound issued forth as Kevin, Rolf, and Nazz all watched as Plank snapped in two over Jonny's knee. "No!" the four of them heard echo from seemingly nowhere as they watched a red mist fly out of Plank and dissipate in midair. Jonny fell to his knees and he dropped the two halves of Plank on the ground in front of him. He gripped the ground with his hands as he stared down at the dead body of his best friend, which still had that darned grin on it.
"I'm sorry..." Jonny whispered as tears began to drop from his eyes and onto the broken and destroyed body of Plank. Kevin, Rolf, and Nazz all looked on, still not sure of what was going on, but also shocked at the fact that Jonny had essentially killed Plank right in front of them. They all sat there in silence for a few moments, save for the sound of Jonny's sobs. Nazz suddenly gathered her courage and stepped forward, her arm outstretched towards Jonny.
"Jonny... I... don't know what to say," Nazz said quietly, her voice solemn. Jonny looked up, tears streaming down his face. He looked at her face, which was filled with pity and sorrow. He then looked at her outstretched hand. He slowly reached up and took hold of it, and Nazz helped pull him to his feet. "I guess I should say... I'm sorry about Plank," she said apologetically as she stared at Jonny, who nodded slowly.
"Rolf is also filled with sorrow at the loss of wooden-boy Plank," Rolf admitted as he joined Nazz her side. "He was the best Urban Ranger Rolf has ever laid his eyes on," he added as he laid his hand on Jonny's shoulder. Kevin stepped forward and stood on the other side of Nazz. Jonny looked over at Kevin, who averted his eyes and looked down at the ground, not knowing what to say. Jonny sucked in a breath of air and sighed.
"It's okay guys... I did what had to be done," Jonny answered as the three of them listened intently. "But that wasn't Plank..."
"What do you mean?" Kevin suddenly asked, confused. Rolf and Nazz both looked equally taken aback by Jonny's admission. Jonny sighed once again. They deserved to know the truth.
A twig snapped underneath Jonny's foot as he finally reached his destination. He laid his hand gently on a large, old tree and stared out into the alcove that he had discovered only a day before. His eyes slowly moved over the field of tall, green grass that swayed gently back and forth. His eyes then moved to look at the trees that lined the clearing in almost a perfect circle. His eyes then stopped on the black hole of the pipe that laid at the other end of the alcove. Explaining what had happened to Kevin, Nazz, and Rolf had been difficult; after all, it was a lot to swallow. But they all told him that they believed him. How could they not? After seeing Plank fly through the air and even speak, it wasn't too hard to believe something like a body snatcher existed. They had offered to come see Plank with him so that breaking the news to him would be easier, but he told them that this was something he had to do on his own.
Jonny snapped out of his thoughts, the task at hand suddenly coming back to him. He knew he should hurry and get to the pipe to see Plank, but he was honestly frightened. He feared how Plank would react when he learned that his body had been destroyed. He feared that Plank would be disappointed with him. Angry even. But he knew it had to be done. With great effort, he finally took a step into the clearing. He then began to slowly move towards the pipe, the familiar feeling of grass swishing past his legs as he did so. As Jonny reached the entrance of the pipe, he stopped and stared within the darkness. He was hesitant to say Plank's name, not even sure if Plank was still in the pipe.
"Oh no..." Jonny moaned. He remembered that the body snatcher had told him that the creature that lived in the pipe had a weakness to any sort of light, and he feared that Plank had stepped outside and burned up, not being privy to this knowledge. He gathered up his courage. "Plank, are you in there?" he asked as he gazed into the dark void of the pipe. There was silence. "Oh God, please answer me! Please tell me you're still alright!" he pleaded. This couldn't be it. His friend couldn't be gone forever.
"Jonny?" a low, painful voice said as Jonny's face lit up. It was him. It was Plank.
"Yeah, it's... it's me," he responded, although a bit of his happiness to see that Plank was still alive drained away. After all, the news he was about to deliver was painful. He watched as two yellow eyes appeared at the end of the pipe and stared out at him.
"What... what happened? Where is... that thing?" the voice asked. Jonny looked away for a moment and then looked back.
"I'm sorry, Plank, but... I had to kill it," Jonny revealed solemnly. "It tried to take Kevin's body, and I had no choice but to get rid of it... permanently," he admitted as his voice became uneven and shaky.
"You don't mean..." the voice began to say.
"Yes. I'm sorry, buddy, but I had no choice. Your body... is gone," Jonny affirmed as tears began to once again form in his eyes.
"It's okay, Jonny," the voice comforted. "You did what you had to do." Jonny nodded slowly and a sad smile formed on his lips.
"I'm glad you understand, Plank. But what about you?" Jonny asked, remembering Plank's dire situation. "You're stuck in that body, and, without that body snatcher's help, we won't be able to get you out," he explained. There was silence for a moment.
"Well... I guess I'll just have to stay in here until we can find another thing like it to get me out," the voice admitted, although it was filled with pain. Jonny hated to see Plank resign himself to this fate. He didn't want Plank to be stuck in this pipe until he could find a way to get him out.
"Don't worry... I'll try my best to find some way to get you out of there, I promise," Jonny answered resolutely.
"Thank you, Jonny," the voice replied, a little more upbeat now. Jonny smiled widely and stuck his hand out, giving a thumbs up.
"What the-" Jonny shrieked as a scaly green hand suddenly shot out of the darkness and grabbed tightly onto his.
Jonny wanted nothing more than another friend to share his laughter and good times with. Instead, what Jonny got was a parasite who wanted nothing more than to find another friend to share his horrible body-snatching powers with. Jonny may have overcome this body-snatching leech, but he still has one more obstacle to overcome: the Twilight Zone.
Jonny's eyes flicked open, the strange yet familiar sensation he felt finally over. He stared out of the pipe and at Plank, who looked back at him with a solemn look on his eyes. Except that it wasn't Plank. It was Plank in his body. "I'm sorry, Jonny... I'm so sorry..." Plank said regretfully as he stared at Jonny, who couldn't help but stare back at Plank in horror. Jonny tried to say something, but all that came out were low gurgling sounds. "You'll learn to speak soon enough..." Plank revealed before sighing. "I promise I'll give your body back eventually... I just... I just want to know what it's like to be a real person..." Plank admitted before backing away. "Please forgive me," Plank whispered in a low voice before running off. Jonny sat there, still staring in disbelief at this betrayal as Plank ran away in his body. He wasn't sure what to think anymore. But if there was one thing Jonny was absolutely sure of, it was this: Plank is a jerk.