“What are you going to do, Vincent?” Bobby asks.
“What do you think I’m going to do? I’m going to go and rescue Kenny!”
“We’re with you, Vincent,” says Michelle. “We’ll help you get Kenny back.”
“But what about the Chupacabras?” asks Bobby.
“It’s okay,” I assure them. “I have a plan.”
“Vincent Ventura has a plan,” says Bobby. “Why does that scare the living daylights out of me? Are you suggesting we go on a rescue mission to Mr. Calaveras’ house at night?” asks Bobby. “Are you crazy?”
“Not even a little bit,” I say. “I know it’s risky, but if we wait till morning, it might be too late.”
“What’s the plan?” asks Michelle.
“We need to break into Mr. Calaveras’ basement,” I whisper. “That’s where I saw him go after he transformed back into a human. More than likely, that’s where we will find Kenny. Two of us will go in and get him, and one of us must stay in the tree house to keep watch, just in case things go wrong and we need help.”
“So how do we decide who goes and who stays?” asks Bobby.
“It’s my plan, so I have to go,” I say. “You and Michelle must draw straws to see who stays behind.”
“Look,” says Michelle, pointing to Mr. Calaveras’ house.
We watch Mr. Calaveras leave. He doesn’t have Kenny with him. He takes off walking in the direction of the ditch, where we had been yesterday. We watch him disappear into the darkness.
“We should go in, now that he is gone,” I advise them.
“But why would he leave?” asks Bobby. “What if it’s already too late? What if it’s a trap?”
“Bite your tongue,” I tell him, upset that he would even dare to say such a thing. “Kenny is alive!”
“We are wasting time,” Michelle says, handing me three plastic straws. “We don’t know if Kenny is alive or not, but if we don’t move soon, he for sure won’t be. It’s time for us to move.”
I grab my backpack and pull out a pair of scissors. I cut them at different lengths and I hold them up in my right hand.
“Longest straw stays behind as the look out,” I say. “Shortest straw is coming with me.”
