Adventure #6: The Fireworks

“BOOM! POW! CRASH!” Fireworks lit the air with bright sparks as the New Year’s Eve celebration progressed. A dance started, with people in fluffy pink dresses and bright sparkles sashaying up and down the stage. Mike stared in awe as Bob the magician performed some of his most amazing magic tricks! Mike was having a great time watching the comedians share their funny jokes. Mike would never forget this moment. Then, he saw that one of the comedians looked familiar. It was the robber! He would have to follow him once the show was over. And he did. He was about to enter the robber’s house, when “BAM!” The door opened. “I knew you were following me.” Said the robber, “Go home now, bud, or something bad is gonna happen!” “What’s going to happen?” squeaked Mike. “You don’t wanna know”, the robber replied. And Mike ran all the way home.

“Mike came so close to getting me!” The robber exclaimed. He had big plans for New Year’s day, and he decided not to do anything bad this week, but Mike was still chasing him for no reason. He had even made a resolution to only do one bad thing each month. He paced back and forth in his colorful living room, thinking about what to do. Maybe he could just go to Mike’s house and tell Mike that he wasn’t going to do anything bad this week, but Mike probably wouldn’t believe him. He didn’t know what to do. Write a little letter from “someone else” saying that he was good? He had to go to sleep. Still, he couldn’t go to sleep for three reasons. One, tomorrow was New Year’s day, two, he was thinking about Mike, and three, he had to use the bathroom. He got out of bed, went to the bathroom, and then lay back down in his bed, deep in thought.

Mike couldn’t sleep well that night either, for three reasons. One, tomorrow was New Year’s day, two, he was thinking about the robber, and three, he had to use the bathroom. So he got up, did his business, and went to sleep again. That morning, he knew he had to do something about the robber. He didn’t know how to, though. He was a bit scared. And he just sat there, sat a while in thought. He went to his 53^rd New Year’s celebration of the year, and the robber was a comedian there, too! He called 911, then he ran onstage, and shouted at the robber. Then he chased the robber across town to another New Year’s celebration. There was a play going on there. But that didn’t stop him from chasing the robber onto the stage. Together, they ran into the evil queen, ran into the princess, and angered the prince, who started chasing him. They were all confronted by the very, very fat police officer, who chased them all too. They ran towards the fireworks being set off. Then Mike remembered what he had done on his first adventure. He slid aside at exactly the right moment, but the robber was ready from their first encounter. He slid aside at exactly the right moment, and the prince and police officer flew over the railing and collapsed onto a firework being set off. They were launched up into the air, and landed in the kid’s trampoline. “I have something to say to you” said the robber.

“I don’t want to do anything bad on this new year’s week. I’m not doing anything bad, okay? Just please stop chasing me and all that junk. Okay? I mean, like, seriously. I’m not doing anything bad, okay?” “OK” said Mike, “You could have told me that earlier”. New Year’s day was peaceful, the whole week. And Mike? Mike slept snugly every night. He had never felt better.