12. Trial & Error

19 3 6
                                    


Recap -

"Glad you accept your little job. Tomorrow Ammon becomes buddy-buddy with Luana, Ruby and I will find who borrowed the book, and all of us will try and not get electrocuted by lightning. Got it?" Ruby nodded her head eagerly. Ammon rolled his eyes. It wasn't much, but it was a start. The start of a friendship group,the start of a little mission, and the start of a neck-breaking race between life and death.

END OF RECAP -

The air was cold and Ammon could see a faint cloud every time he breathed

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

The air was cold and Ammon could see a faint cloud every time he breathed. The thin woollen school jumper he wore was useless. It was like going into a battle with pyjamas. Kyle and Ammon sat side by side shivering at the bus stop, neither having the energy to talk. Kyle shifted closer to Ammon and the two awkwardly embraced each other's warmth. "I swear it wasn't this cold yesterday" Kyle complained.

Inside Ammon's head, it was cluttered and whirring noisily. He had questions that wouldn't leave him alone and thoughts that frustrated him. He realised it was about time he told Kyle everything. Kyle, who listened with fascinated eyes, stayed silent the whole time which Ammon was grateful for. "That is so creepy though. I told you magic is real." Kyle sounded like a child and Ammon groaned inwardly. "Magic is not real. At least... I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist." Kyle looked like he just got slapped across the face with underwear.
"Wait, did you just say pretty sure? As in, not 100% sure? Like there is the tiniest bit of doubt?"

"Yes. Calm down Kyle."

"Calm down?! We have been friends ever since we were babies and you never believed in the slightest bit of magic. The only time we had a real fight was when I told you about the Loch Ness monster and you called me gullible and stupid for even considering it was real."

The memory from fourth grade was still fresh in Ammon's mind. He hated the two weeks Kyle and him didn't talk and it took all his courage to apologise. "That's the only reason I'm even doing any of this. If I just leave it alone I will never stop thinking about it for the rest of my life. When I can prove this can be explained logically, I'll be at peace. It almost seems like magic. Almost." 

"Well that explains why you've been acting all quiet and weird lately."

It felt good to have it all out and Ammon grinned for the first time in a while as he punched Kyle's arm.

"Ow! What was that for!"

"Spotto" Ammon replied before waving at the yellow incoming bus.

"Glad to see you're back to normal I guess."


Kyle chatted happily on the bus, asking questions occasionally and what Ammon told him earlier. Ammon even laughed a few times. It was refreshing being able to joke around again. Kyle suddenly went quiet and his eyes left Ammon's. He ran his hands through his curls to fix them up, a subconscious habit whenever he was nervous or frustrated. Ammon knew exactly which one it was. Sure enough, Olivia got on the bus and walked down the narrow aisle, smiling at some friends until she seated herself two rows in front of the boys. The energy seemed to all go out of Kyle. "Cat got your tongue?" Ammon teased.

The Cardboard Box's Unsolved MysteryWhere stories live. Discover now