An Unmistakable Adventure

Chapter 1 - The Meeting

  "But, John!"

  "No 'Buts'", John says as he puts on his boots and jacket, "Besides, you're not old enough, maybe next time."

  "But, I wanna come NOW!"

  "Ben, I said 'NO BUTS'! You're not coming, end of story!" John quickly walks out the door and slams it behind him, striding towards his bike parked by their asphalt driveway. The faster he left the better, he was already late and didn't want to give his little brother the chance to follow him. He hops on his bike and pulls the kickstand to set off.

  About half-way down his street. John hears his house door open. He knew his brother was going to try to catch up with him and most likely ruin everything that was planned for tonight, so he had mapped out a small detour in his head before  leaving. Making a sharp turn to the right, he rides down a small, concrete drainage ditch, pushing hard to increase the
distance between him and Ben. After a while, he stops pedaling and coasts until he reaches the next street in his small neighborhood.

  Taking a left, he can already see his destination, one of the largest trees in the area with a medium-sized tree-house sitting among it branches. It wouldn't take long for him to reach it and finally get started with the plan. He was about 15 minutes late, so he was most definitely going to get yelled at-

  "Hey, John!" a voice shouts from his destination, "Hurry up! We're getting really bored waiting for you up here!"

  John could recognize that voice anywhere. It could only be James, his bestfriend ever since kindergarten. Sixteen, 5'11", and slightly muscular. His perfectly brown hair reached his eyes in a touseled mess, his voice matching his everything. He used to be on the school football team just last year, but he said he didn't really like his teammates so he quit.

  Finally reaching the tree-house, John rests his bike against the tree and waits for his friends to drop down the rope ladder so that he can join them. "I'm here! Let it down, please!"

  He watches as the small trapdoor about 20 feet above him opens up to reveal his friend, James's, smiling face. A few moments later and a coil of knotted rope starts hurdling towards his face. Jumping back to avoid fiberous-deathtrap as it completes its descent, he begins to climb, reaching the top at 20 minutes past what he had promised. The usual scenery surrounds him: papers scattering the room with indecipherable scribbles and other things drawn across them, ancient-looking rocks, and a few other mysterious objects dotted the room. Some papers on a side-table had red X's hurriedly drawn across them. "So what's up guys? What have you found?"

  "Well, Mrs. Lankferd's house had been vandalized," says James, a short pause as he phrases Mrs. Lankferd, "by...'little men, about the size of a stepping stool,'" in a mocking tone, laughing as he finishes.

  "'With pointy hats'", said a girl interrupting the laughter. Molly, sitting by the trap-door, "you forgot, 'With pointy hats!'"

  At that, both James and Molly start chuckling, but stop after a brief look from John.

  "Yeah, that too." James says, regaining his track of thought.

  "So, what are we gonna do about it", asks John quizzically.

  "Check it out, I guess", replies James.

  "Sounds like a plan," John replies, enthusiastically.

  "Then let's get going already! We've already had to wait on you this whole time, no use in waiting any longer, it'll be daylight in a few hours." Molly chimes in, impatiently.

  "Alright, alright. Let's just get our stuff and head on our way then."

  "Finally!" Molly finishes.

  The three friends collect their things and place them in their small backpacks, taking turns to climb down the rope ladder and hop on their bikes.

  All together, they push of and drive towards the other end of the neighborhood to stake out Mrs. Lankferd's house for any "Tiny men wearing pointy hats."

  A little further back, a small, dark figure follows them in the moonlight.