Snack Food Hero

Chapter 20: Hangry

The group ascended the mountain and, instead of finding relief at the top, they faced a treacherous obstacle. The mountain was cone-shaped: less so at the bottom, but a perfect cone at the top. The highest point on the mountain was the tip at the top, and they would have to navigate it.

Bash hugged the smooth cone and planted his feet on the bit of ground. Wind rushed over them and his shirt rippled. He saw there were about ten more feet of cone to circumference.

He looked down while taking baby steps toward the other side of the mountain. The forest through which they had traveled now appeared small.

Bash felt an indescribable fear of heights and clenched his toes. He took a deep breath and forced himself to take another step.

He kept resolved to not look down again. He closed his eyes and knew he could afford to take a few steps with them closed. This he did quickly, which left him unprepared for what his eyes saw when he opened them.

His hasty blind walk took him to the other side of the mountain, beyond which were many more mountains. Seeing them from top to bottom, Bash inadvertently and immediately grasped the danger he was in. Every move counted and afraid or not, he knew he must keep his eyes open.

He slid along from there, afraid to take his feet off the ground even for a small step. At last he reached the other side and slid his bottom down the mountain to a flat area. He stayed sitting and watched the others make their way to him, encouraging them.

"I can't believe we all made," said Bash.

Rainbow hugged him.

"I'm starving!" yelled Duncan.

"There's nothing up here to eat," said Lance. Lance looked across the land and saw it was entirely water. He wanted to announce this but he was so shocked he could not speak.

"Good grief," said Bash. Rainbow saw it too. The water was dark and still and the size of a large city lake. "That's the most water I've ever seen in Albuquerque."

"Isn't the Magic School Bus on land?" Asked Lance.

"Bash, tell me you brought your fishing pole," said Duncan.

"Do you see a fishing pole?" Asked Bash.

"Maybe it's survival fishing pole," said Duncan. One that fits in your pocket. I don't know Bash, I'm not a fisherman and I don't take random acquaintances down rabbit holes looking for magic school buses! And I just thought maybe, you know, maybe you packed some ravioli, or beef jerky, or something!"

"I'm not sure anything lives in there," said Lance. "And if there is, fish in underground water tend to have evolved to not have eyes. So, they won't even see a fishing lure."

"That's fine," said Duncan. Duncan stood up, scratched his head, and said to Bash, "I'll take the ravioli."

"Oh yea," said Bash, "I'll just pull a can of ravioli out of my secret kitchen cabinet. Do you need a can opener? How about a spoon? Oh, a bowl, too? Sure, let me get those out of my dishwasher." Bash said all this while looking at Duncan, not moving.

"Aaahhh!" Duncan yelled as he ran toward Bash and full speed. Duncan's face was beet red and his eyes bugged out like a mad man.

Bash hunched down like he did back when he was on the high school wrestling team and grabbed Duncan's sides and lifted Duncan into the air.

Duncan landed a few feet away. Bash jumped on top of Duncan and pinned down the mad man. Instead of fighting, Bash's mouth hung open wide in surprise and he looked just over the mountain's edge.

Duncan saw Bash's expression and stopped fighting.

"There it is!" Yelled Bash, standing up. We're almost there! It's the Magic School Bus!"

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This was my guide while writing this chapter: 

Goal: To get over the mountain

Conflict: They run out of food

Disaster: One of them goes nuts and tries to become a cannibal in a ridiculous way and they slap him back to reality. Just ahead of this, one shouts "There it is!" They found it. 

Word count goal: 500-700 words