Chapter 5: Midnight Voyage (Another Strange Dream)
Monday had come surprisingly fast, Arnold had his backpack done. He packed a compass, goggles, boxers, shirts, socks, toothpaste, a toothbrush, energy bars, gloves, his cell phone charger, an extra battery and a sleeping bag.
Arnold met up with Gerald at the bus station with Phoebe and Helga. They took the bus exactly at 4 pm heading to the airport. Everyone was already there, Principal Wartz chatted with a white man showing off a great beard and mustache.
As they got off the bus, Nadine greeted them by asking "Have you seen the man Principal Wartz is talking to?"
"Oh yeah, who is he?" Gerald asked confused, making the other feel the same.
"You don't recognize him? Oh boy! He is…"
"Hello guys!" a delicate voice made them turn around, Mr. Simmons stood perfectly still. He hadn't changed much, slender body, bony arms and a long beard with a good looking mustache. He wore brown shoes, a purple shirt and a very elegant vest.
"It's Mr. Simmons!" they joyfully said at the same time as they ran to hug him. The teens were delighted to see him, even Helga had a smile drawn on her sublime face.
"Alright, alright, calm down, calm down!" Wartz came into sight "I knew I was going to need help with so many children, so I called Mr. Simmons who gladly joined the adventure, isn't that right Mr. Simmons?" Wartz friendly said.
"Precise, we are all going to have a special time, aren't we?" Simmons asked.
Wartz took out a list and began "Alright kids, I'm gonna call your names and you will fetch your ticket" The list had the names:
Arnold
Brainy
Curly
Eugene
Gerald
Harold
Helga
Nadine
Phoebe
Rhonda
Sheena
Sid
Simmons
Sophia
Stinky
Trevor
Velda
Violet
Wartz
Wartz called everyone and passed list to make sure everyone was there. They started letting in passengers at 5:30pm and at 7pm everyone sat ready to go.
"You alright man?" Gerald asked when he noticed Arnold's face turned pale.
"Yeah, totally…" Arnold forced a smile, he had never been on a plane before, he admitted he felt paranoid. The plane engines roared and everyone cheered.
Sheena sat next to Eugene, Rhonda and Nadine sat on the "Vip" site while Harold, Sid and Stinky made jokes on the back of the plane. Curly sat with Brainy, Phoebe and Helga sat on the seats behind Gerald and Arnold.
The day had become night, Arnold glared outside his window, the plane was going at high speed now and elevated in the air. His stomach crumbled as the gained height, and then it was nothing, nothing but the black sky.
"This is so exciting, we are on our way to the jungle, can you believe it Helga?" Phoebe asked overjoyed.
"I know, who would of thought we'd be here with all these loons on a plane to a jungle, all thanks to that football head" Helga grunted "I'll be back Pheebs, gonna take a leak"
Helga got up and walked down the aisle and saw some empty seats on the back. She sat and glared to make sure no one was around and finally took out her locket.
"Oh my brave wandering traveler, Arnold, my love, my moonlight, what is it that you long for alone in the cold? My solitary soul seeks every night for you, in hope of finding a cure to this unfortunate lure" Helga hugged tight her locket to her chest "I promised the stars above eternal adoration to you and I will never break the bond. My blond haired angel…" She stopped when she heard a gasping sound behind her seat. Helga peered between the seats and saw Brainy. Her wrath made her catapult over the seats to Brainy to receive a painful beat.
Arnold showed amazement when he saw the moon outside his window. It was almost full and shone all its charms with radiant beams inciting him to enter the dream world.
Another bizarre dream made its way through.
"They are dead! We got here too late!" he heard voices, everything was dark, with many leaves, trees and a shrine. A sudden woman's sorrow made Arnold's nape shiver.
A third man appeared weeping with a strange accent "No…no! This can't be true! I refuse to believe this nonsense!"
"Come on! We've got to go!" the first man shouted as the bushes and trees shook violently.
"What is that?" the female screamed.
"Holly fuck! Run! Run!"
The ground quaked, twigs snapped, birds flew and shadows crept as queer noises and sounds became unbearable.
The three persons escaped as fast as they could but ran in to an ambush.
"We're surrounded! Noooooooooooo!"
Everything turned dark again like a segue to another dream. Many people were hung by their hands, some on the ground, others tied to trees or tied up on the bloody ground and they all looked like explorers.
"Wait no! What are you doing! Please leave me alone, what are you ..aaaaghh!" there were screams and sorrow as the sound of flesh being smashed by an artifact froze everyone.
"What the fuck! I've got to get out of here!" someone groaned, women and men screams filled the dream with fire rising up in the air.
"Untie me, I beg you!" some man begged, as he tried to untie his hands "Aaghh, come on! Aagh!...I'm free!... don't move! Don't move! Let me…. Ugh… god damn it! Don't fucking move! Agh… shit!... come on!... yes! Let's go!"
Three figures ran towards Arnold, he could not move, his legs did not respond.
"Arnold is that you! Move! Let's go, we've got to get out of here!" a man shouted desperately as he got closer "Come on! We've got to go! Run, run! Arnoooooooooooooold"
Arnold woke up sweating as if he had just gotten out of shower.
"Arnold! Wake up you doofus" Helga stared from the seat in front of his "What's wrong with you?"
Arnold took a glare around, he seemed lost until he finally realized where he was. Everyone played around the plane, their excitement filled the aisles.
"Are you ok?" Helga insisted surprisingly concerned.
"Oh, yeah Helga, thanks, It just had an unpleasant dream, that's all" Arnold answered trying to hide his fear "Where is Gerald?"
"Ahh… he's busy with Phoebe, you don't wanna know"
"Oh… I see" he still felt paralyzed of horror "Helga…." Arnold blushed "Will… will you seat with me… just a little while?" he peered out the window to avoid Helga's reaction.
Arnold asked me to seat with him she sighed Arnold wants to seat with me
"Emm… alright… but no funny business! You got that football head?"
"Alright Helga" he nodded with a tender smile.
Helga sat next to him as he hugged her arm and placed his head on her shoulder which instantly made Helga's eyes pop open as she melted inside.