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by Dingbat
This story is a work of fiction, all characters and plot lines are fictional. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Kevin's Calamity remains the property of the author. The story or characters may not be reproduced or republished elsewhere without the expressed written consent of the author.
"Hey, Mark!" called his best friend, Little Kevin. "Hey, Kevin, wha'cha want?" the young boy replied.
"How does it feel to be the troop mascot?" Kevin asked. "I think I'm gonna like it!" Mark answered. "It'll be fun hanging out with Doug and Scott and them!"
"Too bad you didn't tie that bandana around your brother's head, and stick a feather in it!" Kevin teased, referring back to the night Mark was adopted as the troop mascot. "Yeah, but Allen did it, and Ronnie looked funny as a pajama Indian!" Mark came back. "And he said something about nailing your butt, 'cause he thinks you had something to do with it!"
Kevin just grinned. "I'll never tell! And you better not, either!" he said. Then, the subject changed to something else. "Charlie and Ronnie sent me off to find you!" he said. "They told me that if I found you, I'm 'sposed to bring you over to Charlie's house, but I think they're plotting something, and it doesn't look good for us!"
"Then we gotta go!" Mark said. "If for no other reason, than to find out what they're up to!" "You're nuts!" Kevin growled. "No, just curious!" Mark shot back. "Besides, have you ever noticed that even if they do nail us, 99 times out of 100, we get the chance to nail 'em back?"
"Damn, you're right!" Kevin said, a smile now covering his face. "Besides, I got an idea, that if they're gonna do what I think they're gonna do, we can come out way ahead!" "Yeah? What's that?" Mark asked.
Doug and Charlie went through this thing they call a portal, and it took 'em to an old west town. They said something about no adults and being like TV kids, and when they got through, Charlie was dressed like Mark McCain, from 'The Rifleman,' and Doug was wearing a blue uniform like the one Corporal Rusty wears!"
"You sure they weren't feeding you a line of bull?" Mark skeptically asked, and Kevin replied that it was exactly what Doug told him. "I'm not supposed to know, either, but Doug promised that I'd get to go through with him if I kept my mouth shut! I think that they're going through today. Doug's keeping his promise to me, and it's sort of like a first adventure for you as the troop mascot!"
"Cool!" said Mark. "Now I know I wanna get over to Charlie's! And if what you say is true, I don't care if I get tied up a bunch of times! Do you even know how neat it would be to hang out with TV kids right around our age or size? Israel, Packy, Tagg, and the Indians, Little Beaver, Red Horse, Wild Horse, and Pokewah!"
"I bet they think like we do, that it's really neat to tie up their older brothers and friends!" Kevin said. "Maybe!" Mark answered, "But I think it's neater to get loose from being tied, and earn the right to tie them up, rather than them just lettin' us do it!" "You got a point, Mark!" Kevin replied. "C'mon, I'll race you to Charley's house!"
"You sure took long enough to find him, you little turkey!" Charlie chided Kevin when he arrived with Mark. "I wish he hadn't found him at all!" grumbled Mark's brother, Ronnie. Allen grinned at Ronnie, and quietly said "Knock it off, Ronnie! Everybody knows that you'll stick up for him! You're the one that insisted we make him the troop mascot!"
"Yeah, I know!" Ronnie replied. "I just don't want him to know it!" "I think he already does!" Allen answered. Further conversation was interrupted by Doug, who snapped "Are you guys gonna yammer all day, or are we gonna get on with it?"
Ronnie broke it off, and told Kevin and Mark to sit down. The two boys took a seat on Charlie's bed, and looked at their five older friends with eyes that virtually yelled the questions "What's going on?", and "Why are we here?"
"You two are getting a surprise today!" Doug said. "Today, you're gonna see and experience something you never would have believed possible, and then, he and Charlie proceeded to tell them all about the portal, even mentioning that whatever someone said at the time of entry, became reality when he passed through.
Mark was asked if he was ready for this first great adventure in his role of troop mascot, and he excitedly agreed. Kevin was excited, too, and his excitement was also obvious. But what was not noticed, was that his face had screwed itself into a sinister grin. The wheels were turning, and somewhere in the back of Kevin's mind, an evil plot was hatching
But the others were excited, too, and never noticed the look on Kevin's face. As soon as everyone was ready, they were out the bedroom door, down the stairs, and on the path toward the clearing where the portal rested.
"There's nothing to be afraid of!" Charlie told Kevin and Mark. "But we'll go through first, just to make sure that there! You two stay right behind us!" Mark and Kevin nodded. and Charlie stepped through, followed by Allen, Ronnie, Doug, and Scott.
Right behind them, were Mark and Kevin, small enough to go through side by side, and as they entered, Kevin said "Ya know, Mark, it'd be really neat if we were in buckskins, like Israel's, and the others were Indians like they were at the sleepover when they made you the mascot!"
The portal transit was something like an accelerated ride on a roller coaster, and when it was over, the boys were disoriented and lightheaded, and just inside the mouth of a deep cave. It took a few moments for them to shake off the trip.
"What the hell??" Ronnie yelled as he regained his senses after the dizzying effects of the portal transit. The same reaction came from the others, as they recovered to find themselves wearing their pajamas, with bandanas around their heads, and feathers in them.
Just then, Kevin and Mark recovered, and started laughing uncontrollably at their five friends in pajamas. "You did this!" Ronnie roared at Mark, and Mark backed up a couple of steps, and said "Not me!"
"This just stinks of Kevin!" Allen said. Then he added "I'm gonna kill him!" "Oh, no you're not!" Ronnie growled. "Oh, yeah?" Allen asked, "And why not?"
"Because I'm gonna kill him first!" Ronnie shot back. "Let me know when you get done!" Charlie snarled. "Because when you guys are done, I'm gonna kill him a third time!" Off to the side, Scott and Doug snickered.
Charlie looked over at the two of them, and asked if they would like to spend the next sleepover tied and gagged in the closet with Mark and Kevin. "I guess that means you ain't gonna kill them!" Doug laughed, and all he got was a growl out of Charlie.
The five older boys surrounded Mark and Kevin, and all of them had revenge on their minds. But before they could be grabbed, a voice shouted "Pajama Injuns! We catch-um!"
The voice belonged to Red Horse, one half of a set of ten year old twins. With him was his twin brother, Wild Horse; his older brother, Walking Horse, another ten year old, Little Beaver, plus Swift Arrow, Little Elk, and Spotted Elk. Also along, was Israel Boone.
Outnumbered, Ronnie, Charlie, Allen, Scott, and Doug had no choice to surrender. Without a word, they all turned and crossed their hands behind their backs, and waited for what was to come. Mark took great delight in tying his brother's hands behind him and binding his arms with rawhide. A similar fate awaited Charlie, tied by Kevin; Allen, tied by Little Beaver, Scott, tied by Red Horse, and Doug, bound by Wild Horse. Once they were tied, their captors removed their bandanas from around their foreheads, and tied them over their captives' mouths. And it did not escape Allen's notice that the older Indians had let the younger ones tie them, almost as a kind of an insult.
Kevin and Mark figured they would be next, but then they noticed that Israel was wearing his own buckskin pants, and his blue chambray shirt, and that they were both dressed identically to him. A further hint came when Israel told them that they had horses for them and the five prisoners, and that when they were brought up, they should mount up. They did as Israel told them, and watched while Walking Horse and Swift Arrow got Charlie, Ronnie, Doug, Allen, and Scott on their horses.
A short while later, the captives were pulled off their horses, and taken into a large teepee, where their ankles were tied together, then pulled up to their wrists in hog ties.
Doug was loving every minute of this. Here was an escape challenge for him that was really tough, and he thought to himself "If 10 year olds tie this good, how good will the older Indians tie me?" Scott was sort of "Blah" about the whole affair. He knew that he'd get loose or be untied, probably within the next half hour, and then, it would be his turn. He smiled as he thought about how he was going to tie Mark and Kevin, and any of those other little termites that helped them.
Neither Ronnie nor Charlie was any good at escaping, and both had their minds squarely set on getting revenge on Mark and Kevin, especially on Kevin. And Allen was thinking about first things being first, and the first thing they needed to do, was get loose.
For some reason, Mark and Kevin were being given credit for capturing Charlie, Ronnie, Scott, Allen, and Doug. Red Horse and Wild Horse had presented the pair with Indian buckskins, and the two boys couldn't wait to try them on. The older Indians had some other things on their minds, like a raid on their village last week, by Nishko, Pokewah, and Corporal Rusty. They had gone off to return the favor, leaving their village in the hands of a bunch of ten year olds.
Allen was the first to escape, and quickly freed Charlie and Ronnie. By the time he got them loose, Doug had freed himself, and was helping Scott get his knots untied. "Now we wait!" Allen told the others. "Sooner or later, they'll send someone to check on us, and if it's only one or two, it'll be easy to jump 'em!"
For the next few minutes the five boys exchanged whispers about what they were going to do to Kevin and Mark, and anybody else that got in their way. Most of it was fantasy, but Ronnie had the idea to return the favor, by bringing them to the mouth of the portal, making the two of them change into pajamas, then tying their hands and arms and gagging them, then pushing them into the portal, and seeing how Little Beaver and the others would greet them then. "I like that idea!" Charlie said. "But first, we each get three or four penalties on them!"
But Allen had something else in mind. "That pair of little weasels is treacherous, deceitful, dirty, no good, rotten, and low down, and I like 'em!" "Yeah, they're just like Doug!" Scott chimed in. Before the conversation continued, Ronnie cut them off with a loud "Shhhh!" and a whispered "I hear someone coming!"
It was Israel, and he walked right in to the teepee like he expected to find five captives bound and gagged. Instead, he found all five free, and Charlie's hand clamped tightly over his mouth. "Promise not to yell, and I'll take away my hand!" Charlie whispered in Israel's ear, and Israel nodded assent.
"How'd you get loose?" Israel whispered, and Ronnie just snickered, and said "Wouldn't you like to know!" Charlie released his hold on Israel, and said "Turn around and cross your hands behind your back!" Israel did what he was told, and Charlie tied his hands with rawhide, then tied his arms. "Sit!" Charlie commanded, and Israel sat on the teepee floor, and watched as Charlie tied his ankles. After finishing, Charlie rolled up a blue bandana, and started to tie it over Israel's mouth. "Wait!" Ronnie said. "Make him call the others!" "Yeah, but one at a time!" Allen said. "We'll have our hands full if they all come at once!"
Charlie pulled Israel to his feet, and propped him up by the teepee door. He held the bandana at the ready, and as soon as Israel had called for Little Beaver, Charlie forced the bandana between Israel's teeth, and tied it off. Doug grabbed Israel by the arms, and forced him to hop to the back of the teepee, where he was treated to the same kind of hog tie put on Charlie by Kevin.
Little Beaver walked in expecting to find Israel. He found him, and soon joined him, hog tied on the teepee floor. The same ruse worked on Red Horse, Wild Horse, and finally, Mark and Kevin, who were just tied hand and foot, gagged, but not hog tied.
Charlie looked at Doug, and said "Check it out, and see if there's anyone else around!" Wild horse gave a loud "Mmmppfff!" and Ronnie pulled his gag down. "We be-um only ones here!" he said. "Walking Horse, Swift Arrow, Spotted Elk, and Little Elk go look-um for Rusty, Pokewah, and Nishko! Them make-um raid on our village ten suns ago!"
It was too late for anyone to stop Doug. He was already out the teepee door, and he found that it was as Wild Horse said. Doug reported that fact, and Charlie said "Let's go!"
Kevin and Mark were pulled up and shoved out of the teepee. Soft "Mmmppfff's" came from them, and were ignored by the older boys. A moment later, they were all on horses, and headed away from the village.
Another ten minutes had passed, and they all found themselves at the cave that housed the portal. Mark and Kevin were shoved in, and were followed by Doug, Scott, Allen, Charlie, and Ronnie. Once the gateway had been cleared, the five older boys and the two younger boys were dizzy from the transit, and dressed as they had been at the outset of their adventure.
It was late in the afternoon, and the kids split up to go to home. Doug went with Charlie, Allen, and Scott, and Kevin trailed after Mark and Ronnie. When the three of them got home, Ronnie looked at his little brother and Kevin, and said "You know you two are gonna catch a lot of crap for what you did!"
"Don't blame Mark!" Kevin said. "It was all my idea!" "I'm sure Allen, Charlie, Scott, and Doug will take that into consideration!" Ronnie replied. "But I'll try and cover your butt, Mark! Tell anyone, and I'll deny it, and then I'll make your life miserable!" "I'll tell 'em it was all my idea!" Kevin said.
Kevin was as good as his word. He told Charlie, Allen, Scott, and Doug that the pajama thing was his brainstorm, and that he did it because he knew that it would tick off Ronnie and Charlie, and probably Allen, too. And he thought it would be fun.
Kevin also acknowledged that they had some payback coming, and was surprised when Mark volunteered to take some of the penalties for him. "You're still my best friend!" Mark told him, "And I'll stand by and with you!" Kevin was impressed, and so were the others.
"Deceitful and treacherous, but honest and loyal!" Charlie mused. "I'm still gonna get him good!" Aww, hell, Charlie!" Ronnie said. "We'll do to him, what got done to us! We'll all take turns hog tying him in his pajamas!"
"And in his scout uniform, his blue jeans, his red jeans, his sweat suit, and in Mark's jeans with the holes in the knees!" laughed Charlie. "And maybe in Mark's pajamas and cub scout uniform, too!" Ronnie said, with a big grin on his face.
Mark had a bad feeling, that he and Kevin were going to be in for a lot of grief, but one thing did stand out in his mind: His words when he and Kevin were on their way to Charlie's, Allen's, and Scott's house, which were that 99 times out of 100, whenever he and Kevin got tied up, they got to return the favor.
Mark, Kevin, and Ronnie walked the block and a half to Charlie's, Allen's, and Scott's house. Doug was already there. Mark looked at Kevin, and Kevin looked back. "Let's get this over with!" Kevin said, and turned his back to Charlie, and put his hands behind him. Mark watched, and did the same thing, choosing his brother to take the first tie. "This is gonna be fun!" Ronnie laughed. "Just wait!" Mark thought. "My turn's coming, and you're gonna look funny tied up in your pajamas again!"
END
© Copyright Dingbat 2007
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