North by North Tree-st

North by North Tree-st - Part 2

Hi, guys, I'm so sorry for the delay! I hope this makes up for it.

Chapter 2

   "We're lost!" Andy and Ollie hugged tightly, looking around in fear.

   "We're not lost," Louise rolled her eyes, waving her hand casually.

   "Actually, I think we are lost," said Tina.

   "We're not lost," Louise repeated.  

   "If we're not lost, then where are we?" asked Gene.

   "We're still in the woods; we just need to start walking, and we'll find our way out."

   "Uh, I don't think we should do that," said Tina.

   "T, all we gotta do is climb that hill, and the log's right there." Louise pointed behind Tina.

   "I climbed the hill, and couldn't find the log," said Tina worriedly.

   "Well, you must have climbed the wrong hill, then, but we should go there, anyway."

   "Maybe not, Louise. According to my Thundergirl handbook, the first rule of survival is to stay put and wait for help."

   "Ugh, you and that stupid handbook!" Louise growled. "This is real life, Tina! You can't just sit and wait around! No, we need to keep walking."

   "Tina's right," said Zeke. "We should stay here."

   "This doesn't concern you," Louise barely acknowledged him, her irritated gaze fixed on her sister. "No one knows we're here, and we've got no way of calling for help, so the best thing to do is walk."

   "It concerns all of us, and we should all make a decision together," he said.

   "Well, my decision is that we should get our asses moving! I'm going; anyone who wants to follow is welcome." Louise turned and strode into the woods.

   "Louise!" Tina called after her sister's retreating form. "Louise, come back!" But Louise ignored her and kept walking.

Tina began to groan, not knowing what to do. Soon, Louise had disappeared from sight, and Tina began to run after her, intending to bring her back. Footfalls told her that the others were following, too. "Louise!" Tina panted, as she caught up to her. "You can't just go walking off into the woods; you'll get lost."

   "We're already lost!" moaned Jimmy Jr., from the back. "And Louise is making us loster!"

"Hey, what do you get when you cross a with a an annoying kid with a perfectly placed tree trunk? A Talking Pesto Puppet." Still walking, Louise didn't break her stride to point at another thick tree trunk. Jimmy Jr. didn't answer her, knowing full well what she meant. "No? Then keep your mouth shut. I know exactly where we are," she said, after a while. "The log is this way, so if we keep walking, we'll find it."

They walked deeper and deeper into the forest, unaware that they were actually walking away from the ravine into which they had fallen.

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   "Kids?!" Linda called, as she and the other adults walked through the forest. "Babies, where are you?"

   "Gene, Tina, Louise?" Bob pushed back the prickly branches of a bush, "if you're playing, just come out! We won't be mad, I promise."

Forgetting the food, the adults all searched, looking under logs, searching the ground for anything the children might have dropped, and shouting as loud as they could. Only Tammy and Jocelyn remained at the bench, not caring enough about the kids to get their clothes dirty.