There was a still sick and maybe it was nervous; feeling in Flint's gut. His shoulder had been stitched back up and his cast had been remolded. The doctors had said that it was getting better and he could have it removed soon. As Sam slept, Flint noticed that she wasn't wearing her own clothes. He just noticed that. She wore a dark blue sweater. Where she had gotten it, Flint had no idea. Brent was asleep too and Flint couldn't understand what made him say those things yesterday. Flint couldn't understand whose side Brent was on. First he said it was Flint's entire fault, and then went on rambling how the mayor was horrible.
Before Flint could think about anything else, Brent stirred in his bed and awoke. Gulping, Flint began to eat the breakfast from his tray. A worried look passed through his eyes when he saw what his breakfast was. Or if you could even call it breakfast. It was a can of sardines. Flint looked down at the can and wondered why hospitals gave such breakfast. Brent stared at his breakfast too and a sad look passed through his blue eyes. Then he looked up and met Flint's look. Both exchanged nervous looks and then Brent pried his sardine can open.
The horrible stench filled the room and Flint covered his nose and waved his hand. Brent closed the can. Then Flint opened up his can, but instead of the smell of sardines, he found a note. Slowly, he unfolded the note. Brent glanced over.
"I've got a note." Flint told Brent. Silence. Brent was still remembering last night and turned away. The note was written in something red. Horrified, Flint brought the note to his nose and sniffed. It was blood. Then he read the note. It said: Hello Lockwood. We were here last night. And one day we will return and kill you. Sincerely, the men in the dark blue trench coats.
Laughing, Flint dropped the note and Brent looked over. He raised an eyebrow. But Flint just grinned and folded the note. They had been here last night. Why hadn't they killed him when he slept? Shaking his head, Flint watched Brent try to eat one of the sardines from the can. Instantly, Brent spat the sardine out and his face turned into a look of complete disgust. Flint watched him. Then Brent let out a giant sigh.
"Listen. I'm sorry. If it weren't for your machine we'd still be eating sardines. I'm sorry about what I had said last night. I just got carried away." Brent muttered and Flint nodded. They both looked down at Sam who fluttered her eyes open.
"What did I miss?" she asked in a whisper and glanced from Flint to Brent. Both laughed and she sat up.
"Nothing much. Just some sardines." Brent chuckled.
"Oh." Sam wrinkled her nose when she looked over at the can of sardines on Brent's tray.
"Let's go home." Flint finally whispered after an awkward silence.
"You bet!" Brent flung his covers away and hopped to his feet. Flint got out of bed too, and grabbed his two garbage bags. All but Sam sat there nervously looking down at the sweater she wore. She thought about her clothes that were still in the helicopter. Along with her glasses and Jell-O scrunchie. Blinking, she wondered if she should tell Flint. But that would just break his heart. Forcing on a weak smile, she followed Flint and Brent out the door to their room.
The hallway was empty. They tip-toed to the elevator. Near the elevator slept a man with a black trench hat over his eyes. He was covering the elevator door. He wore a black peacoat and shiny black loafers and long black pants. The man snored and then stopped. Slowly without lifting his hat he began to speak.
"Who's there?" he rasped in a scratchy voice.
"People who want to get into the elevator." Flint snapped.
"Right. Sorry." The man got up and pulled the hat over his eyes. The elevator pinged and they all stepped in. Along with the man. The elevator was tight, so Flint was squashed next to the man. When he stood next to him, Flint felt something sharp and cold sticking into his side. He looked down and saw something large and angle-like pressing against the pocket of the black peacoat. It was a gun. The shape was familiar. Who carried a gun around? The elevator soon came to the first floor and they all came out. The man in the black peacoat followed them out. Brent checked them all out.
Near the countertop, Flint saw a wanted sign with mugshots of Patrick and the Mayor. The man in the black peacoat came up to the sign and tore off the sign and stuffed it into his pocket. Then he ran out the hospital double doors. The woman behind the counter watched him run out behind her wide-rimmed glasses. Shaking her head, she signed Sam, Flint and Brent out of the hospital and they left the hospital. Now it was off to ChewandSwallow.
xxx
The docks of ChewandSwallow greeted them, as the boat parked at one of the docks. Flint was first off the boat. He raced off the boat and waved his good arm wildly in the air. With the other one, he clutched his bags.
"I'M HOME!" He hollered out and Brent and Sam followed him, running onto Main Street. People appeared from stores and houses to see who had come back. Instantly, people cheered. They had all heard about how the men in the dark blue trench coats attacked Flint, Sam and Brent. All knew about the Mayor. They all knew everything. Tim Lockwood immerged from the crowd and came over to Sam, Brent and Flint; who all stood next to each other. The crowd surrounded them. Tim sighed and then tried to find words to say.
"I thought you were dead, son. But I'm happy you're home." Tim replied quietly and Flint watched his father. Smiling, Flint dropped the bags and hugged Tim tightly. He never felt safer. Now he was home. No Mayor was going to get him.
"I'm glad to be home too, dad." Flint smiled and left go of Tim. Then the crowd parted to reveal Earl, along with his wife and Cal. And…
"STEVE!" Flint gasped and the monkey ran up to Flint. Steve jumped into Flint's arms and hugged him tight.
"Gummy Bears?" Steve asked Flint.
"Later Steve. I promise." Flint grinned down at his monkey. Everyone was here. Now Flint felt happy. The happiness was surging through him like lightning. Like thunder it rumbled inside him. He watched Earl clear his throat and explain to everyone that now they didn't have a Mayor. He explained that earlier he had gone the Mayor's office, above City Hall and searched through the papers. There it said who the next mayor would be. It was to be Earl. The most loyal and supporting person in ChewandSwallow.
"So, now I want no funny business, Flint Lockwood!" Earl teased Flint and slapped him on the back as applause came from the crowd. Flint grinned. Earl would make a MUCH better Mayor. The town was in good hands now.
xxx
After the whole ceremony of Earl becoming Mayor, the town went on with their lives. Brent was instantly gone with Earl to clean out the Mayor's old things and bring in Earl's things. While he did that, Flint had run into his lab to grab a shovel and then hoisting the bags over his good shoulder, he and Sam headed down to the Jell-O Dome. All the way, Sam asked why Flint needed the shovel. Instead of answering, he told her what was in the bags.
They walked down through the yellow fields, and somewhere in the grass, the Remote Control TV ran wild. All was back to normal. No more Spaghetti Tornados to ruin the day or people busting into Flint's lab. No more food raining from the sky and no more gunshots through the midst of things. The hill that led down to the Jell-O Dome was ahead. Flint stopped on the hill. He began to dig. Sam watched him with her arms crossed across her chest.
"What's the hole for?" She asked and smiled down at Flint.
"You mean 'holes'. I'm digging two." Flint looked up at her and wiped his forehead. Then he continued to dig. He dug until the hole was up to his knees if he stood in it. After, he went on to digging the second hole. Tired of watching him, Sam sat down and wrapped her arms around her knees. She rested her chin on the top of her knees. It was interesting watching Flint work. He did the job fast, but did the job good. He didn't stop to hesitate or ponder on a thought. There was no daydreaming tied to his work.
"Done!" Flint leaned on his shovel. Letting out a sigh of relief, he took the first garbage bag and emptied the contents into the first hole. The pieces were the FLDSMDFR; smashed up and scratched. Then he snatched up the second bag and emptied the contents into the second hole. These were the pieces from the flying car.
"I want to bury these t-two inventions. I-I never want to return to them again." Flint stuttered. Slowly he hung his head. All the might and thought he had put into the inventions. Now they were going to be gone.
"The Jell-O Dome belongs to the FLDSMDFR, so I want to bury the FLDSMDFR here. Then the flying car #3 connects to the FLDSMDFR in some ways." Flint whispered and Sam stood up. She put a comforting arm around Flint's waist. They stood for a while, just listening to the wind and birds. Finally, Flint took the shovel in his hands again and threw the soil over the two holes. Then he sat down. Sam sat down beside him. They faced the Jell-O Dome and Flint watched the sun set rays down on the Dome. It sent a warm orange glow through the Jell-O and it looked as if the whole thing was lit up.
"I know who the man in the black peacoat was." Flint whispered suddenly to Sam.
"WHAT?" she sprang back and stared at him.
"The man blocking the elevator. It was the Mayor." Flint smiled.
"How do you know?" Sam widened her eyes.
"I just know." Flint smiled and Sam knew she shouldn't say anymore. The scene was beautiful and she wished… Slowly, she turned and kissed Flint on the lips. He blushed and kissed her back. She leaned in when a loud shout interrupted them.
"Oi! Lovebirds! Look what I found!" someone cried out. Both sprang apart and saw Brent running to them. He wore a dark blue trench coat and grinned as he ran to them. Sam gasped. Flint just stared. Brent ran over and sat down beside them. He took off the trench coat and laid it on the ground.
"The Mayor's closet was FULL with these! Everything in his closet was dark blue! Suits, Ties, coats, pants! And we found boxes and boxes full of bullets too!" Brent grinned and then took the coat and ripped it in half. Then he got up and took the pieces too.
"Just wanted to show you that! You can go on with whatever you were doing!" Brent shouted over his shoulder as he ran off.
"What was that all about?" Sam asked Flint.
"I dunno." He grinned and they turned to the Jell-O Dome. Then he turned to her and kissed her for the final affect. Where ever the Mayor was in the world, Flint wished he wasn't here. But he thought wrong.
The End