Welcome back, everyone! Here to deliver another chapter! Hope you enjoy it! Special Thanks to Neo Nimbus for helping me out!
"Clarence! Over here! I'm open!"
"Alright! Go forth, Sumo!"
Sumo gave a quick nod and ran as far as he could before Clarence threw the ball as hard as he could; it flew far for a few seconds, before slowly descending down. Sumo kept his eyes on the ball as he prepared to catch it, positioning himself on the spot, certain that victory was inevitable, before jumping and catching the football.
"Alright, Sumo!" Clarence happily cheered.
"Now time to score big" Sumo then ran towards the goal, certain that victory was his.
Unfortunately for him, though, Chelsea seemingly appeared out of nowhere, tackling Sumo down where he ran. He was so close, yet so very far.
"Oh yeah, baby! You just got denied!" Chelsea smugly gloated.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Sumo simply said, not feeling in the mood to argue.
"Well, that was fun!" Clarence happily quipped.
"Jeez, you sure don't hold back, do you, Chelsea?" Jeff noted as he helped Sumo get up on his feet.
"Going easy is never my forte," Chelsea replied. "Besides, how would people know how great I am?"
"By being a show-off," Sumo retorted.
"Oh, stop being a sore loser." Chelsea dismissed his remark.
"Oh, I'll show you who the sore loser is!" Sumo was about to charge when Clarence ran up and got between the two.
"Now Sumo, we had fun at the end and that's all that matters. There's no reason to get all worked up," Clarence did his best to ease the tension as calmly as he could.
"...Fine, I'll let it go," Sumo said, just before he noticed Chelsea's grin. "For now."
Today was Saturday and the gang were at Bendle Park; The sky was clear, but the temperature was a bit humid, though a strong yet pleasant cooling breeze was ever present, making it the perfect weather for many to go out and enjoy the day. Of course, Clarence, Sumo, Jeff, and Chelsea weren't the only ones enjoying the outdoors, as the whole park was crowded with a myriad of people from every corner of Aberdale, with a few jogging on the walkway, while a couple was resting on the benches or on the grass, one group watching the clouds and another enjoying a nice picnic.
Among them was a thin girl sitting on a nearby bench, with fair skin, a small, pointy nose, long, maroon hair tied up in a high ponytail using a black hairband and wore a short-sleeved, orange dress with a white collar, yellow leggings, and purple boots; she happened to be Alison, one of Clarence's classmates, as well as being one of Chelsea's friends.
Besides Alison, two other peers were present at the park: Blaide and Crendle, the former feeding the gooses and ducks with pieces of bread, while the latter was doing some sightseeing. Blaide had fair skin, short black hair, and a bean-shaped head, wore a simple black-and-yellow striped t-shirt, blue shorts, and brown shoes; Crendle, on the other hand, was a short and stout kid, also with fair skin, had big green eyes, a pointy nose, light brown hair combed to the side, wore a yellow long-sleeved shirt, reddish brown shorts, and dark blue shoes.
They, along with everyone else, were enjoying their time at the park and looked like everything was going to be perfect.
Unfortunately, the peaceful atmosphere ended prematurely when a small red and white helicopter crashed right into the same group of people enjoying their picnic, their foods splatting them in the process and ruining the whole mood, just as four kids made their way to the commotion.
"Uh, Belson, I think we found where your helicopter went," Dustin stated the obvious, as Belson, Percy, and Nathan looked on at the chaotic scene played out in front of them.
"About time," Belson grunted, clutching the remote control in his hands, before facing Nathan. "What are you waiting for you big oaf? Go get my helicopter."
Nathan nodded, before he marched his way to the helicopter and grabbed it, just as the rest of the adults took notice of the four.
"Uh…" was all Nathan could say before one of the adults spoke up.
"Did you do this?"
"Well…" Dustin rubbed his head, uncertain how to respond back.
"Explain yourself!"
"So what did we-" was all Belson could say, before another adult cut him off.
"Look what you did!"
"Don't you have any manners?!"
"Where are your parents?!"
"Oh no…" Percy whimpered.
As the group of adults scolded the four for their carelessness, Jeff and Ashley stopped what they were doing and witnessed the mess they were in.
"Looks like Belson and his friends are causing a ruckus, as usual," Ashley commented.
"This is Belson we're talking about," Jeff matter-of-factly stated.
Soon, Clarence, Sumo, and Chelsea joined up with their friends, before the former took notice of Belson.
"BELSON!" Clarence happily exclaimed and rushed towards the bully, just as he and his friends began to walk to the opposite direction. "Belson, wait up!"
"Clarence, no!" Chelsea protested, but her friend was too far to hear her words, prompting her to facepalm with annoyance. "Let's go get him, you guys."
"Sorry Chelsea, but I have to get going," Ashley announced, before heading into the opposite direction. "See you guys later!"
Sumo, Jeff, and Chelsea waved their farewells, as they watched Ashley disappear into the crowd. They quickly caught up with Belson and the gang who were already heading toward the forest.
"About time we got away from them!" Belson complained. "Seriously, they were getting on my nerves!"
"Your helicopter did land on their food," Dustin pointed out.
"Who cares?" Belson rudely dismissed his friend's concern. "They shouldn't have been there to begin with."
"Uh, guys, we're here," Nathan spoke up, as Belso, Dustin and Percy looked in his direction, realizing they had arrived at the huge Rockhill for all to see.
"Now this place brings back memories…" Dustin began. "Can't believe that girl had a good throwing arm. I can see her becoming a baseball player!"
"As if!" Belson blew a raspberry.
"Dude, the girl managed to snipe you on the head several times repeatedly. Really owned all of us looking back," Dustin reminded his friend.
"Shut it!" Belson gritted his teeth, feeling the anger building up within him.
"There you are, Belson!"
Upon hearing the not-so-familiar friendly voice, the bully begrudgingly turned around to see the optimistic boy right behind him and his friends, just as Chelsea, Sumo and Jeff caught up with Clarence.
"Clarence, you shouldn't run off like that," Jeff scolded him.
"Sorry about that, Jeff. I just want to hang out with Belson," Clarence sheepishly explained.
"Like I want to hang out with you!" Belson objected.
"You better watch it, Belson!" Sumo warned the bully. "One word from you and I'll punch your nose out!"
"I like to see you try!"
"I wonder where the river leads too," Percy interjected, interrupting the two's argument.
"Beats me," Nathan shrugged. "What do you guys think?"
"Why don't we find out right now for ourselves?" Chelsea suggested before she grinned. "Unless you guys are scared."
"As if!" Belson turned his attention to Chelsea. "If it's a challenge you want, then challenge accepted!"
With that, the whole group began to follow the river, curiously wondering where it'll lead them towards to.
Several minutes later…
"This is taking forever!" Percy complained. "Are we there yet?"
"Keep it up and I'll make it forever," Belson threatened his friend.
"Sorry," Percy meekly nodded.
"Guys, no need to fight," Jeff attempted to defuse the situation. "I'm sure we'll get there…whatever that it is."
"Hey, I think I see something!" Clarence spoke up. "Look!"
Everyone looked in Clarence's direction and couldn't believe their eyes; right in front of them was an area of the forest they weren't familiar with. It was a far cry from the usual view of trees and bugs, for the field was completely clear with rocks and grass, teeming with life and activity, with a huge waterfall at the foreground,where numerous fish happily sawm down the river and everyone can see the clear blue sky with the sun happily beaming its way in time. Overall, the new scenery was a great change of pace for once.
"How come I have never seen this part of the forest before?" an awestruck Nathan asked.
"I…I don't know," for once Jeff doesn't have an answer to that particular question.
"It's a dream come true," Clarence muttered, holding back his tears of joy.
"For once, I have to agree with you on that," Belsom happily agreed.
While the others took in the sight, Percy looked to his right and spotted something from the distance. Curiously, he walked as close as he could, until he got a much clearer view of the object, before his eyes widened on what was staring right back at him: it was a treehouse that can only exist in an imaginary land; the exterior had a light brown complexion and even more unusual, it had a staircase leading up to the entrance, Intrigued, Percy climbed onto the front deck, allowing him to get a nice view of the entire riverbank, before focusing his attention to his friends.
"Hey guys! I've just found this treehouse over here!" Percy shouted at the group.
"Say what now?!" Chelsea turned around and was similarly awestruck at the sight. "Holy moly! Guys, get over here now!"
The boys turned around and looked at Chelsea's direction and gasped at the sight of the treehouse laying in front of them. Once the shock wore off, the group made their way towards the deck and went inside, which was even more impressive: there was a dining area consisting of just a small round table and four chairs made of dark brown oak, in the middle was a black stone colored coffee table, two small rusted orange couches and a fireplace and finally, on the right was the kitchen area, complete with cabinets, a sink, stove and microwave. Noticing a nearby ladder, the group climbed up and saw some spare beds laid out. For a treehouse, it was rather exceptional.
"This place is awesome already," Chelsea commented, rubbing her chin with intrigue.
"You can say that again," Sumo said, checking out the kitchen, before turning on the faucet and water came out of it. "Wow, there's running water here."
"I'll say," Clarence happily laid down on the couch. "I bet anyone can live here comfortably."
"With no parents around, this is the perfect place to hang out," Dustin agreed.
"Check this out!" Nathan opened up the fridge, revealing several drinks inside, from waters to juices and sodas. Oddly enough, there weren't much food around, but the kids didn't paid much attention to it, as Nathan and Beldon grabbed a can of lemon soda and joined up with the others
"All that is missing is a tv and this place will be the best thing ever!" Nathan exclaimed, raising his arms up.
"What's this?" Dustin spotted a black colored button resting in between the fireplace and the picture of a snow forest. Suddenly, the frame flipped around and in its place was a flatscreen TV.
"Holy moly! This is even better!"
"Check it out!" Clarence grabbed a remote on the table and pressed on it, before the TV turned on, much to the group's excitement.
"Wait, try changing the channel!" Belson suggested.
Clarence nodded and did just that…only to receive nothing but static, much to their disappointment.
"Well, it's not like we need the tv to have a good time." Clarence simply shrugged. "Anyway, let's continue exploring!"
"No way," Belson disagreed. "You guys can do that, I'm staying here in my new treehouse."
"Your treehouse?" Chelsea glared at the bully. "This is ours! We found it first!"
"Please, it's clear that we found it."
"Percy was the one that found the treehouse!" Jeff pointed out.
"And he's part of my group," Belson countered. "So, therefore, the treehouse belongs to me!"
"You only say that so you can use him for your own selfish gains!" Sumo shouted. "You don't really care for him at all!"
"Plus, he also hangs out with us too," Jeff calmly but firmly said.
"Guys why don't we just share?" Percy suggested.
"Sorry Percy but that's not gonna happen," Chelsea disagreed. "No way I'm sharing our treehouse with this muppet."
"DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT!" Belson furiously shouted
"Why not? You do look like a muppet," Chelsea smugly said, holding back her laughter
Before Belson can retort, they hear the door being open. Before they knew it, the door swung open: it was none other than Kate, otherwise known as Nature Kate. She was a tall, thin woman with fair skin and a down-turned nose, long brown hair with straight-across bangs, worn like a ponytail, wore a short-sleeved white shirt that exposed her midriff, blue jean shorts, gray-and-black striped socks and brown army boots.
"Nature Kate?! What are you doing out here?!" Clarence gasped in shock, as Kat took notice of him and his friends.
"Wait, I recognized you guys…" Kate began. "You were present when Joshua and I worked the other day. What are you guys doing here? This area is off limits."
"Wait, this area is off-limits? Percy tilted his head in confusion "I didn't see a sign or anything when we passed through."
"Follow me," Kat demanded, as the kids obliged and followed her outside of the treehouse and began following her lead. A few minutes later, they reach an area where the roads are split into two paths and in the middle was a wooden sign:
"←Bendle Park, Aberdale Natural Museum→"
"AREA IS OFF LIMITS! KEEP OUT!"
"Alright then…" Kate began and pointed at the sign. "Beyond here is off limits where we came from. Left of here will take us back to Brendle Park. Now, Let's get going, kids."
The group groaned in response but complied and followed Kate's lead once more. A few more minutes later, they arrived at the park once more.
"Alright, that's more like it," Kate sighed with relief. "You guys go ahead and play around here."
"Say, why don't you join us?" Clarence suggested. "I'm sure we can go on adventures!"
"Sorry kids, Can't do that today," Kate politely decline. "I have to keep watch around here, but you guys have a good one!"
And with that, Kate left and headed back into the wilderness, leaving the kids by themselves once more.
"So.." Clarence started to twitch his thumbs. "Why don't we play something else? "
"Like what?" Sumo simply asked.
We can play with the drone that Belson bought!"
"Not a chance! You wanna play around here, be my guest! I'm heading back!" Belson turned around and walked away, with his friends following him afterwards.
"Head back to where?" Clarence asked, dumbfounded.
"I have a pretty good idea exactly where he's heading," Chelsea replied, before facing her friends. "We can't let Belson take that treehouse. You're thinking what I'm thinking?"
"You don't have to ask twice, because I'm in!" Sumo pumped his fist up.
"But you heard what Kate said! That place is off-limits!" Jeff objected.
"Just because she said it doesn't mean I have to obey. Besides, we know that won't stop Belson anyway and he certainly won't give up so easily."
"Yeah, let's arm ourselves." Sumo suggested.
"Great idea dude!" Chelsea couldn't help but fist-bumped Sumo in agreement.
"...I'll admit, that's not a bad idea, but where do we look for weapons?" Jeff asked, against his better judgment.
"I know just the place."
"Care to explain why we are here?" a bewildered Jeff demanded. He knew his friends were going to come up with some crazy solution, but he didn't expect them to drag him all the way to the Lucky Litter Thrift
"'Cause it's the closest place to the park," Sumo nonchalantly replied.
"We could have gone back home to get equipment." Jeff pointed this out.
"That would take too much time and by the time we get back, it'll be dark," Chelse argued.
Jeff tried to counter Chelsea's claims, but after a while, he sighed in defeat. She did have a point: it would have been too late to deal with Belson by that point.
"So it's settled then," Chelsea sounded quite pleased. "Now, let's get ourselves ready."
"Hold on for a moment," Jeff quickly grabbed a red wagon near the wall. "Now, let's grab what we need right away."
"Alright!" Clarence happily shouted, before and his friends browsed around.
Five minutes later…
"Gotta say, we got ourselves a big haul," Chelsea whistled, looking at the supplies on the red wagon, as she and her friends left the thrift store.
"Well, I can see that," Sumo then spotted something that caught his interest. "Balloons! We can make water balloons."
"I'll grab them," Clarence quickly grabbed a few packs. "Is this enough?"
"Hold on there," Sumo took most of the packs away. "Four is enough."
"Wait, what about the rest?" Jeff pointed at the rest of the items they've bought.
"Just leave them be," Chelsea matter-of-factly said, as Jeff frowned upon hearing this.
"Great, just great.
Traveling back to the treehouse took much longer than expected, especially since they have to worry about Kate. Fortunately, she wasn't around, much to their relief and after spotting the same sign earlier, they proceeded to pass by it and to their intended destination
"Okay, I haven't seen Beldon's ugly face yet," Sumo grinned.
"Don't let up, Sumo," Chelsea warned him. "In case they beat us to it, we're taking it by force so be ready."
"Got it," Clarence simply said, despite his reservation.
"Uh guys, do you know where the treehouse is?" Jeff wearily asked.
"Uh…" tried as they might, Clarence, Sumo and Chelsea couldn't come up with anything.
"Of course you didn't!" Jeff facepalmed.
"I suppose you would have done differently about it?" Sumo sarcastically asked.
"I would if I actually left a trail for us to follow," Jeff replied.
"You're the brains around here! You should have done something to begin with," Chelsea berated him.
"That's rich, coming from you!"
Before long, the three were arguing among themselves, trying to pin the blame on one another, while Clarence couldn't help but look on rather worriedly.
"Guys, there's no need to argue. We can still find our way to…" Clarence trailed off when he felt a shiver down his spine, as he slowly turned around and quietly gasped at the sight.
Not far from them was a figure with tan skin, a hooked nose, blue eyes, high cheekbones and a very sharp, broad jaw, with short, light-blonde hair styled into a pixie cut, wore white earrings and a police uniform, consisting of a blue short-sleeved shirt, dark-blue pants, and a black utility belt. She also carries a gun, a police radio, and several pairs of handcuffs.
"Uh, guys…" Clarence attempted to warn his friends.
"Not now Clarence!" Sumo, Jeff, and Chelsea shouted in unison.
"Guys, just look at what I'm looking at!" Clarence frantically pleaded.
The trio reluctantly looked in his direction and froze in place upon seeing the same figure.
"What the heck is she doing here?" Chelsea asked Clarence, instantly recognizing Carol Moody.
"I dunno! I just saw her!" Clarence insisted.
"Well whatever it is, this just made things worse for us!" Sumo rubbed his temple in frustration.
"Maybe she's helping out with Kate on keeping intruders like us out," Jeff tried to rationalize their situation.
"Doubt it," Chelsea disagreed. "She's a police officer, not a forest ranger."
"Actually, he's right," Sumo, for once, agreed with Jeff. "If she sees us, we can kiss that treehouse goodbye."
"I hate it when I'm proven wrong," Chelsea muttered. "Okay, we need to find our way to the treehouse without being seen."
"How are we gonna do that?" Jeff quietly asked.
Chelsea took a moment to ponder before she and the trio heard a familiar voice further in the background.
"Good idea for making a trail with the yarn you had." Dustin praises Percy.
"Do you think it was right to do this? I mean, we are breaking the rules coming back."
"Please, it's not like that lame woman or a police officer searching for us," Belson disregard his friend's concern.
"Anyway, I haven't seen Clarence and his friends yet," Dustin noted. "Should we be concern about that?"
"Unlikely," Belson smirked. "Once we get there, You guys will be on the lookout for them."
The four continued on with their conversation until they were no longer in hearing range for Clarence and the gang to listen in.
"We'll see about that," Chelsea took charge and followed Belson and his friends, with Clarence, Sumo and Jeff not far behind her. "Alright, you guys, we can still get there before they do."
"How?" Jeff asked, quite perplexed.
"Simple: we use our water balloons and douse them with all of our mights," Chelsea grinned.
"I'm down for it," Sumo rubbed his hands with glee.
"Is…that it?" Clarence was expecting more than charging head-on.
"I'm not so sure about that plan," Jeff added.
"Come on, you guys, it's better than giving up!" Chelsea argued.
"Better than losing, that's for sure!" Sumo chimed in.
"...Alright, we'll do it," Clarence reluctantly agreed.
"Just be smart about it," Jeff cautioned his friends, as they continued to make their way to the treehouse.
Reaching the treehouse was much quicker than either of them expected, but what mattered to the group, especially Belson, was that they arrived first and they'll do what they can to keep the treehouse for themselves. Right now, the group were keeping a lookout for anyone that showed up, particularly a certain group of kids.
"Hey, everything ok?" Nathan called out, making himself comfortable on the stairs.
"Uh, yeah" Belson simply replied. "Keep on the lookout. Clarence and his loser friends may be nearby."
"You got it," Nathan nodded, as he took a bite of an apple.
Unbeknownst to the four, though, Clarence and his friends made their way back to the treehouse, but not before Chelsea grabbed him and pulled him into the nearest bushes.
"Hey, what was that for?" Clarence demanded.
"We can't be seen out in the open," Chelsea explained. "The moment they see us, it's game over."
"We need something that would lure the big guy," Sumo said, spying on Nathan. "Have anything in hand that would help?"
"...Okay, I have a plan. But it's very risky," Chelsea replied.
"How risky are we talking?" Jeff wearily asked.
"Okay, here's what I have planned."
Officer Moody had been out patrolling for what seemed like an hour or so, but this was hardly exciting work for her. Still, she had managed to handle far worse situations, so just keeping out should be pretty simple and she had to remain stern and vigilant, ready to put in every effort in her job.
Her usual stares must have done wonders since being hired by her supervisor; no one dared to cross her and carried on with their day, much to her satisfaction. Of course, that didn't stop a few people from trying, though a few rough-ups was good enough to send in the message.
"Alright," Officer Moody spoke, checking up on her phone. "It's ten minutes till seven."
Just as she was about to head over to the next area, Moody suddenly heard some noises not far from where she was. Without hesitating, she took out her flashlight, ready and armed.
"You there! Come out with your hands up!"
All she got was nothing but silence in response
"Don't bother hiding! I know you're back there!"
But once more, she got nothing but silence. Moody growled in frustration, but kept herself calm, letting out a deep breath. After all, her former partner advised her to take a different approach when dealing with such troublemakers.
"Listen, I'm not mad. I'm just concerned that you might get poisoned or be attacked by some dangerous wildlife. Just come on out, ok?"
Carol waited and just like before, she got nothing but silence.
"Of course, what was I-"
Without warning, a barrage of debris, mud, bugs, and several other nasty little critters came out of nowhere all at once. Carol wiped the mud covering her eyes, enough to catch a glimpse of the assailant's hair: it was brown and curly. It may not have been much, but it was enough for Moody to realize who she was dealing with.
"BELSON!"
Belson turned around for a moment, wondering if he heard something from behind, but he merely shrugged his shoulders and continued to head back to the treehouse. After all, it had been a long day to locate the best spot and he just wants to rest, or at least, that was the original plan.
"Belson, are you alright?" Dustin asked, just as Belson was about to enter into the treehouse.
"What is it, Dustin? Can't you see I'm about to get some sleep?"
"Sorry to bother you, but I need your help on something,"
"Can't you get Nathan and Percy to help you?"
"Nathan is outside on guard duty while Percy is out exploring the forest doing his own thing,"
"...Okay, what do you need help with?"
"Well I need help with this o-"
Suddenly, a scream came out of nowhere, startling the boys, as the two quickly went out to the patio and looked around for the source.
"That scream…" Belson pondered. "Why does that sound so familiar?"
"I think that came from Clarence," Dustin expressed his concerns..
"Heh, have the nerds finally given up?"
"I wouldn't say that," startled, Belson turned around and saw Chelsea towering over him, covered in mud and dirt from head to toe.
"What do you want?" Belson demanded.
"I'm here to tell you that…I'm surprised you managed to beat us here. Very impressive."
Belson was taken aback by Chelsea's response. Normally, she would just talk him down, but hearing her praising him was the last thing he was ever expecting.
"What did you expect?" Belson crossed his arms, looking rather amused.
"What can I say? You won fair and square."
"O-of course I won! Y-You dweebs can never beat me at anything."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Chelsea disagreed. "Remember you lost your console to Sumo?"
"Hmph! I managed to get that back." Beslon folded his arms. "What is it that you're trying to prove?"
"What about the time you try to mess with Clarence in laser tag, only to lose to a disco toy ball instead?" Chelse continued, as Belson grunted and his fists started to shake with anger. "Or the time you try to prank him, only to fall for your own prank instead? That must be very embarrassing."
"Alright, that's enough!" Belson was starting to become more and more impatient.
"You may have Percy, Nathan and Dustin, but the truth is, you don't have any real friends."
"SHUT UP!" Belson's patience reached its limit. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"
"And you're right, I don't," Chelsea simply said.
"Get out of here right now!"
With that, Chelsea calmly turned around and went to the opposite direction, leaving just him and Dustin at the patio.
"What was that about?" he finally asked.
"Who cares," Belson disregard his concern. "Let's just head back inside."
Just then, loud footsteps can be heard from a distance; slowly, it got louder and louder with each second, much to Belson's concern.
"Dustin, take Nathan and find out where that's coming from," he ordered.
"Got it," Dustin complied, as he tapped on Nathan's shoulders and the two went down to investigate.
It wouldn't take too long, though, for the boys spotted the figure coming out from the path and much to their fear, it was none other than Carol Moody herself.
"Well, well, well…" Moody spoke as calmly as possible. "Looks like someone wants the worst penalty possible."
"W-what are you doing here?" Belson fearfully asked.
"I should be asking the same thing," Moody continued with the same calm voice. "You boys have some guts to come back here."
"Oh, well, it's quite the funny story…RUN!"
Soon, Belson, Nathan and Dustin split up and took off, much to Moody's amusement. Her job was to take care of any vandals and this was the right time for her to go after them.
Belson ran as fast as he could, breathing heavily and sweating like mad. He didn't know if the officer was going after him or not, but he didn't want to look back and find out.
Eventually, he made his way to the riverbank, giving him some room to breathe, as he fell down onto his knees from exhaustion.
"Okay, I think I am safe here."
As Belson tried to calm himself, many questions began flooding his mind: how did Carol Moody know that they were here? Was she working with the forest range or on her own accord? Most of all, what does she intend to do with them?
Before he could gather his thoughts, he noticed two shadows looming over him, causing Belson to yelp in panic. But as he turned to face around, though, it was just Nathan and Dustin, looking just as exhausted as he was.
"Thank goodness we are away from that harpy," Belson sighed with relief.
"How do we deal with her?" Nathan asked. "We're dead meat if she catches us."
"No kidding." Dustin agreed, before facing Belson. "We should forget the treehouse and just go home."
"Are you kidding me, after we just found it again?!" Belson complained.
"It's that or face Officer Moody and we all know how she feels about us," Dustin reminded him.
"...Alright, let's…just get out of here, okay?" Belson begrudgingly relented.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Dustin said.
"Wait!" Nathan suddenly spoke up. "How do we know how to get back?"
Belson and Dustin looked at each other nervously upon hearing this. They were so worried about Moody catching them that they forgot to come up with a plan in case they get lost.
"Don't worry. I'll go on ahead to find a path for us," Nathan assured his friends, as he went over to the bushes and disappeared out of sight. Only a few seconds later, though, did he let out a sudden scream.
"BELSON! DUSTIN! HELP!"
"Nice try, Nathan," Belson wasn't in the mood for any sort of game.
"STOP! PLEASE, NO!" Nathan shouted again, sounding more alarmed.
"O-O-Okay Nathan, you can come back here," Dustin nervously spoke out.
Instead of another scream, all they got out of Nathan was…nothing. Nothing but a long, eerie silence. Now more terrified, Belson and Dustin got up and ran even further away from the forest, but as they continued to run, they saw a shadowy figure nearby. Unnerved, they continued to run, but no matter where they go, the same figure keep popping up from one place to the next, leaving them more and more unnerved.
"Forget this!" Dustin ran to his right and followed the river upward to the opposite direction.
"Dustin, wait!" Belson pleaded.
Dustin, however, ignored him and continued to follow the river, hoping to find his own way back home. But then, Dustin tripped over a tree root, causing him to tumble down to a nearby ditch in the process.
"Dang it!" Dustin cursed himself, just as a shadowy figure appeared over him, glaring at the young boy with contempt.
"No…please…", was all Dustin could mustered, as the shadowy figure approached him.
Belson definitely heard his friend's scream not far from where he was, as he could hear the leaves rustling and the birds chirping like mad. He couldn't believe his luck: his group had been separated, there was a cop after them but most of all, he was now all alone in the forest. What was supposed to be a fun day now turned into a complete nightmare.
'This can't be happening! This can't be happening to me!' Belson thought, as he was now following the river downward, hoping that it can lead him straight back to the park, where he could be safe and sound.
Sadly, that wouldn't happen, as the same shadowy figure appeared right in front of him, causing Belson to stop dead in his track, his body quivering in fear at the glare the figure was giving him.
"Have mercy," Belson merely pleaded, as he went down onto his knees.
"Thanks Clarence I needed that."
"Anytime Sumo."
Clarence and Sumo were currently sitting near the crossing paths, enjoying some fruit snacks, potato chips and soda, before they spotted Jeff and Chelsea returning back from the path.
"Welcome back, so are we in the clear?" Sumo greeted.
"You know it," Chelsea replied, winking back at him.
"I'll admit, her plan actually worked out pretty well for us," Jeff added, bashfully rubbing his head.
"Come now, Jeff, have a little faith in me," Chelsea teased him, playfully punching him in the shoulder.
"Fair point," Jeff conceded, rubbing his arm from Chelsea's punch.
"Let's go boys!" Chelsea happily shouted, as they followed her path.
"Do you think Belson and the others will be alright?" Clarence expressed his concern.
"Don't sweat it, Clarence…" Chelsea begin. "All we did is give them a good scare. Officer Moody will take care of the rest and none of them would realize it was us."
"After what happened today, I doubt they'll have any time to wonder about us," Jeff added.
"And I prefer it stays that way," Sumo said with a grin.
As the four continued with their conversations, they passed through the "KEEP OUT" sign…as well as a lack of sight from two adult figures. They were certain that this time, there won't be anyone else to stop them.
"Alright! That treehouse is as good as ours!" Sumo pumped his fist up in the air.
"So, what's the first thing you guys want to do?" Clarence suggested.
"Check out the kitchen," Sumo replied. "Hopefully there is some food remaining in the fridge."
"Fixing the TV is on my list," Chelsea added. "I'm sure there's some channels that are still working."
"I'm just gonna take a quick rest…" Jeff let out a yawn. "After that, I'm heading home."
"What's wrong, Jeff? Tired already?" Chelsea teased him.
"I have a long day," he replied, not feeling the mood to argue with his friend.
"Are you sure about that?" Sumo asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I'm sure, Sumo," Jeff insisted. "Besides, I didn't pack anything extra with me."
"Suit yourself, then," Sumo shrugged, accepting his response, just as he stepped on a few twigs, causing a low but loud rumbling noise.
"Guys, did you hear that?" Clarence asked his friends.
"I didn't hear anything."
"I'm afraid not, Clarence."
"Same."
Just then, the group took notice of a tree log strangely standing upright on both the left and right of them. At first, it didn't seem to do much…until it started to swing down towards them.
"Duck!" Sumo warned his friends.
"Where?" Clarence looked from above, prompting Jeff to grab him, before all four duck down, avoiding this dangerous trap altogether.
Then, smoke appeared out of nowhere, nearly blinding the four, coughing up and trying to find their way around, before Chelsea and Sumo head Clarence and Jeff yelped out of nowhere. Once the smoke died down, they looked up and noticed their friends caught in a net.
"Don't mind us. We're just hanging around," Clarence jokingly said.
"We could use your help right about now," Jeff worriedly said.
"Don't worry, we got this," Sumo rummage through his pocket, hoping he was carrying something sharp to cut the net down. But then, they heard something rustling from the bushes, as the four stopped what they were doing.
"Did you see that?" Chelsea asked.
"Sure did," Sumo wearily responded.
"Do you think it's an animal?" Jeff was now more worried than ever.
"Maybe it's harmless," Clarence tried to rationalize their situation.
"Don't know, but I won't let it harm you guys," Sumo just grabbed the nearest plank of wood and stepped in front of the gang. "Chelsea, get to the treehouse. I'll keep it busy."
"No Sumo, I don't think that's a good idea," Chelsea objected.
"I can handle it," Sumo confidently spoke. "Besides, I've dealt with worse before.
"...Alright Sumo, give them one heck of a bad time!" Chelsea relented.
"You got it!" Sumo give her a thumbs up.
With that in mind, Chelsea took off to the treehouse by herself, leaving the trio on their own to face whatever danger they were about to go up against.
"Clarence, do you really think Sumo can handle this?" asked a concern Jeff.
"Don't worry Jeff. Have faith in our friend!" Clarence reassured him.
"That's what I'm afraid of," was all Jeff could say, as he shook his head in disbelief.
It took much longer than she thought, but Chelsea finally made her way to the treehouse and now that Belson and his friends were no longer around, it was theirs for the taking, as she made her way inside and smiled.
"Treehouse claimed," Chelsea sighed with relief, before she laid down on the couch. However, her rest was short-lived, as she heard some heavy footsteps coming from the stairs. "About time you guys showed up. You can tell me what was hidden in the bushes back there while I try to sleep."
"That won't be necessary."
"Huh?" Curiously, Chelsea got up and made her way to the door and opened it and gasped upon who was standing in front of her.
"No way!"
"Clarence!"
"Mom!"
Mary ran toward her son and the two hugged one another, while Carol Moody was observing the five rather cautiously.
"HI Officer. I'm Mary, Clarence's Mother." Mary greeted Moody. "Mind telling me what happened?
"Your son and these kids we're fighting over a treehouse," Carol sternly replied.
"I understand that according to my son, but was it necessary to chase them like that?"
"They went into an area that was off limits and ignored the warning twice," Carol twice. "I was only doing my job, nothing more. Just be thankful that none of them was hurt."
"Don't worry, Officer Moody. I'll take care of the rest," Mary assured her.
"I'm sure you will," Moody merely nodded her head in response.
Just then, a blue car pulled up and parked on the curb in front of them, as a figure came out of the vehicle, revealing an older woman, with curly brown hair and a nose similar to Belson, wore a blue hairband in her hair, a blue jogging outfit that bares her midriff and white and pink shoes. She was none other than Cynthia Noles, as she frantically rushed over to her son the moment she saw him.
"Belson! Are you ok? Are you hurt anywhere?" she worriedly asked, as she checked up on her son.
"Mom, not in front of them," Belson pleaded, while Nathan, Chelsea, and Dustin couldn't help but snicker at the sight.
"Hey Cynthia, how have you been?" Mary asked.
"Been doing pretty good," Cynthia happily replied, before facing Officer Carol. "I'm sure we can work something out."
"That won't be necessary, ma'am."
Everyone turned around and saw a figure approaching them; it was none other than Mr. Reese, much to their surprise, as he turned his attention to Carol.
"At it again, Moody? What did they do this time?"
"It's a long story, Reese," she simply replied.
"I think I have enough for a story," Mr. Reese insisted, as he crossed his arms.
So for the next several minutes, Carol explained the situation to him of what Clarence and the kids have been doing all day, from ignoring her and Kate's warnings to feuding with one another, while Mr. Reese nodded his head, listening carefully to the officer's story.
"Let me get this straight.." he began. "You're telling me that this began over a treehouse?"
"It was in an area off-limits to everyone," Carol argued. "They could have gotten themselves hurt or worst!"
"Oh for goodness sake!" Mr. Reese facepalmed. "They're kids, Carol. They didn't mean to cause trouble to begin with."
"Most of us, anyway," Sumo muttered, prompting Jeff to nudge him on the side. "It's true."
"This changes nothing." Carol remained unconvinced.
What happened next, though, was the last thing the officer was expecting out of Mr. Reese.
"Carol, this has gone far enough! I understand that you want to keep everyone safe, but what you're doing is very unprofessional! If words gets out of what you were about to do, there's going to be an uproar all over Aberdale! Is that what you really want?!"
Carol Moody just stood, her mouth gaping in shock and for once, she couldn't muster any words to talk back to her former partner, as he continued on with his speech.
"There's more to your work than just making one arrest after another, Moody. You have to build trust with your community, prove to them that you're someone they can rely on and somebody to appreciate, not fear, so please, do what is right and not what it should be. Do I make myself clear?"
The two looked at each other for what like an eternity, while everyone looked with uneasiness, unsure what was going to happen next. Then, Moody let out a big sigh and finally spoke up.
"Okay, I'll let them go," she relented. "I didn't mean to take things too far today. I just want to do my job and just make sure there isn't much trouble around, that is all."
"Thank you, Carol," Reese said, expressing his gratitude. "Truly."
Carol let out a smile, before focusing her attention to the kids and other than Belson, most looked at her rather nervously.
"Don't cause any more trouble in the future. I won't be this lenient next time."
The group nodded their heads, having understood her words, which was enough to satisfy Carol, as she made her way to the police cruiser and was about to get in.
"Wait, I have a question," Carol turned around and noticed Chelsea approaching her
"Ask away."
"How did you know I was at the treehouse?"
"That's simple, Belson spilled the beans," The officer replied. "That and I suspect there was a reason.
"Oh," Chelsea simply replied. For an officer, Moody was pretty good at what she does her best.
"Now you know," Moody simply chuckled, before getting into her car. "You all have a good night!"
And with that, the officer took off into the night, presumably to head back to police headquarters to report tonight's activity.
"Well, my work here is done," Reese said. "I should be going."
"Thank you for helping us," Mary happily clapped her hands.
"You're welcome, Mrs. Wendle," Reese smiled. "To be honest, I wasn't so sure if I was able to reach, but I'm glad that everything went well."
"I couldn't agree more," Cynthia smiled in response.
"Anyway, I should get going now," said Mr. Reese. "You guys have a safe night now."
And with that, Mr. Reese took off, while Chelsea, Sumo, and Jeff joined Clarence and his mom while Nathan, Dustin, and Percy joined Belson and his mom, respectively and went their separate ways.
"I can't believe that woman played me like a fool," Chelsea groaned.
"Well, it can't be helped," Jeff shrugged. "She is a police officer after all."
"But at least we had fun right?" Clarence asked.
"I certainly did!" Sumo answered. "Sure, we didn't get the treehouse, but we're still in one piece and Belson had it coming anyway, so that's good enough for me."
Chelsea couldn't help but smile, for Sumo was right: they didn't get what they wanted, but they did have a great time and that was more important than any treehouses.
"You know what, who needs a treehouse when you can be among great friends," Chelsea spoked confidently.
"Now that's more like it," Jeff approved.
"Sounds boring," Sumo said, followed by a raspberry blow.
"Okay, settled down," Mary did her best to calm the kids. "I'm getting takeout for dinner. What do you guys want?"
"Chinese food!"
"No! BBQ!"
"How about seafood, Mrs. Wendle?"
Mary and Clarence couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
"Clarence, have anything in mind you want?" Mary asked her son.
"Nope. I'm fine with anything," Clarence replied.
"Well, we better figure out how to solve your friend's dilemma."
"I got it! How about you guys solve it with rock, paper, scissors?"
"Alright fine, I'll beat all of you!" Sumo declared.
"You wish, man," Chelsea rolled her eyes.
"Alright, Let's settle this." Jeff loosen up.
The gang drove off into the night, laughing quite loudly, as the full moon illuminated the sky.
And that wraps up for Chapter 4! I really don't want the long wait to become a habit, but I can't help it. I'm almost done with college and that's been taking much of my time. That and unmotivation and procrastination. However, I am in the progress to adjust it. It won't be easy but I will try. So I'll post chapters till it's done but hopefully, I can surprise you in the near future.
Thank you all for your patience! Have a good morning/afternoon/evening/night and see you next chapter! Caio!
