have no idea where this
newfound strength (maybe you'd even call it gall ) came from, but I knew I had to
get across to Gasp the fact that I was 1) pretty angry about what
just happened 2) pretty scared about what just happened, and 3) pretty annoyed
that he didn't give us any warning about what just
happened.
"Gasp," I said with about
as much intestinal fortitude as I could muster from my little fifth
grade body. "Do you have any idea what you just put us through? Do you
have any idea
what just happened here?"
Gasp's head was still pointing straight down
at the floor. He hadn't looked up since the Oracle Essex had
finished her speech and disappeared. It was as if he felt he'd
failed. Like he didn't have all the answers that he thought he had,
and now he was in a place he wasn't used to being in - with his
back against the wall.
"Do you?" I asked again, a little more angry
and high-pitched this time. David's face showed just how shocked he
was that I had this in me. It even looked to me like Trex was a
little frightened. He tilted his head like he didn't really
recognize me. "Well, do you?"
Gasp lifted his eyes slowly toward me, and
then the rest of his head followed behind. It was as if his eyes
were pulling the rest of his face and everything was fighting those
eyes. His head didn't want to look up, but he was forcing it.
"Jimmy," he said in what
was probably the quietest voice I'd heard from him since we arrived
in Ghost Town, "I'm going to be completely honest with you." He ran
his hand through his hair, his body still completely corporeal for
the time being. "I really have no idea what just happened."
I turned my back to the three of them
sitting on the floor and pushed my hands down even harder on my
hips. I could feel the burn of my hands on my sides and I wanted to
let go. I wanted to just swing my hands freely at my sides and let
this all go, but I knew I couldn't. Not now. I needed to show Gasp
that I meant business, that I wasn't just another pushover, and
that I wasn't going to sit around and wait for more of his
surprises.
"What do you mean, you
have no idea what happened?" I asked. "How could you not know that would
happen? You're our guide ! You're supposed to be the
expert here in Ghost Town. You're a Town Elder. How can you
honestly think I would believe that you have no idea what just
transpired?"
We'd just learned the word "transpired" a
few weeks ago, in school, and it felt good to be able to use it in
this situation. It made me feel strong and mature, like I knew what
I was talking about and Gasp better shape up quick.
"Jimmy," Gasp said quickly as his eyes
wrinkled tightly and his face began to gain a slight red tinge
around his cheeks.
"Don't, Gasp. Don't even try it. I'm
not--"
"Jimmy," said David sternly as he let go of
Trex and jumped up from the floor. He crossed the room towards me
and placed both hands on my shoulders. "I don't think he's
lying."
"But he--"
"I think you should let this one go, Jimmy,"
he said and turned me just enough to look me in the eyes. "I know
you're mad. I know you feel like we've been duped. I know how you
feel, but I think we need to hear Gasp out. I think we need to
listen to what he says."
David let go of my shoulders and stepped
back, all without letting go of the virtual lock his eyes had on
mine.
"And I think we need to do whatever we can
to heed the message of the Oracle Essex. I think we need to do
whatever we can to help Gasp and the people of Ghost Town."
"You do?" I asked him sincerely, keeping my
eyes beamed into his. "You don't think it's all some big joke?"
"I think it's probably the only way we're
going to get home again, Jimmy."
David was right. I knew,
before he even said it, that he was right. He was usually right, but this
time he was especially right. Not only did I want to have that
chance, albeit an incredibly slim one, that I might see my mother
again, but there was no way we were going to find our way out of
Ghost Town and back home
newfound strength (maybe you'd even call it gall ) came from, but I knew I had to
get across to Gasp the fact that I was 1) pretty angry about what
just happened 2) pretty scared about what just happened, and 3) pretty annoyed
that he didn't give us any warning about what just
happened.
"Gasp," I said with about
as much intestinal fortitude as I could muster from my little fifth
grade body. "Do you have any idea what you just put us through? Do you
have any idea
what just happened here?"
Gasp's head was still pointing straight down
at the floor. He hadn't looked up since the Oracle Essex had
finished her speech and disappeared. It was as if he felt he'd
failed. Like he didn't have all the answers that he thought he had,
and now he was in a place he wasn't used to being in - with his
back against the wall.
"Do you?" I asked again, a little more angry
and high-pitched this time. David's face showed just how shocked he
was that I had this in me. It even looked to me like Trex was a
little frightened. He tilted his head like he didn't really
recognize me. "Well, do you?"
Gasp lifted his eyes slowly toward me, and
then the rest of his head followed behind. It was as if his eyes
were pulling the rest of his face and everything was fighting those
eyes. His head didn't want to look up, but he was forcing it.
"Jimmy," he said in what
was probably the quietest voice I'd heard from him since we arrived
in Ghost Town, "I'm going to be completely honest with you." He ran
his hand through his hair, his body still completely corporeal for
the time being. "I really have no idea what just happened."
I turned my back to the three of them
sitting on the floor and pushed my hands down even harder on my
hips. I could feel the burn of my hands on my sides and I wanted to
let go. I wanted to just swing my hands freely at my sides and let
this all go, but I knew I couldn't. Not now. I needed to show Gasp
that I meant business, that I wasn't just another pushover, and
that I wasn't going to sit around and wait for more of his
surprises.
"What do you mean, you
have no idea what happened?" I asked. "How could you not know that would
happen? You're our guide ! You're supposed to be the
expert here in Ghost Town. You're a Town Elder. How can you
honestly think I would believe that you have no idea what just
transpired?"
We'd just learned the word "transpired" a
few weeks ago, in school, and it felt good to be able to use it in
this situation. It made me feel strong and mature, like I knew what
I was talking about and Gasp better shape up quick.
"Jimmy," Gasp said quickly as his eyes
wrinkled tightly and his face began to gain a slight red tinge
around his cheeks.
"Don't, Gasp. Don't even try it. I'm
not--"
"Jimmy," said David sternly as he let go of
Trex and jumped up from the floor. He crossed the room towards me
and placed both hands on my shoulders. "I don't think he's
lying."
"But he--"
"I think you should let this one go, Jimmy,"
he said and turned me just enough to look me in the eyes. "I know
you're mad. I know you feel like we've been duped. I know how you
feel, but I think we need to hear Gasp out. I think we need to
listen to what he says."
David let go of my shoulders and stepped
back, all without letting go of the virtual lock his eyes had on
mine.
"And I think we need to do whatever we can
to heed the message of the Oracle Essex. I think we need to do
whatever we can to help Gasp and the people of Ghost Town."
"You do?" I asked him sincerely, keeping my
eyes beamed into his. "You don't think it's all some big joke?"
"I think it's probably the only way we're
going to get home again, Jimmy."
David was right. I knew,
before he even said it, that he was right. He was usually right, but this
time he was especially right. Not only did I want to have that
chance, albeit an incredibly slim one, that I might see my mother
again, but there was no way we were going to find our way out of
Ghost Town and back home
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