[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
16
(Author's note: Just wanted tyo say thanks to Sam, Alana, Celtic Rose, Chaos, and Pammy for adding their feedback the last few days. Meighan and Krystalrain you too :) Thanks guys. I really do appreciate it!)

That night I developed a plan. The plan that would guarantee us a one way ticket out of there. But even more important then that, it would gain me the respect that I deserved from them. I was tired of feeling left out. Tired of being ignored. I tried to tell them my plan after Kevin finally figured out that little window was a bust. They kept shooing me away, like I was some kind of annoying fly. I hated that. It was bad enough that we were stuck in this situation but I didn't need to feel unwanted on top of it. And let's face facts here. I was totally unwanted.

After Kevin yelled at AJ and I to shut up, I think the whole cabin stayed quiet for the rest of the day. Kevin was not one to be reckoned with when he was in a bad mood. I think it was safe to say that he had by far moved on from being in a bad mood to being downright scary. Just another thing for me to look forward to being his band mate and all.

Brian made us dinner. A can of baked beans and peanut butter jelly sandwiches. It was odd, and maybe a tad bit disgusting but to be honest, it still tasted better then that stupid beef stew. We sat around the table in silence, just chewing and slurping on Hi-C. I took it upon myself to finally break the silence. Trying again to tell them about the plan.

"So...I was thinking.."

"SHHH!" Kevin hissed from across the table. Really hissed. He sounded like a snake. I wish I had a tape recorder.

"Kevin I just wanted to tell you about my plan"

"Shut up Nick, can't you see no one is interested in your dopey plan?" AJ said. And they thought I was immature.

"Guys, can't we just stop all this stupid fighting and make peace?" Brian pleaded. Poor Bri, I bet he never had imagined this situation before. Not even in his wildest dreams. Not that I had, but I can say that this wouldn't be the first time I was ever stuck in the middle of the woods. The only difference, well I guess it would be a major difference, was that we were trying to get into the cabin instead of getting out. That's where I got my plan from.

My dad, Aaron and I went fishing once while renting a cabin up in the Catskills. We left not even thinking the door would lock behind us. But it did. With the keys on the table inside the cabin. After laughing about it for a few minutes, dad had the brilliant idea to hoist me in through the window. Afraid I would fall once I got in there, he tied some twine we found in the car around my waist and lured me down through the window. Once I was in, I just untied the rope, and walked over and let them in.

Simple.

I could do the same here, maybe take the table and put a chair on top of the table. Of course when I had suggested that to Kevin, he said the table plus the chair together would just break under his weight. Then I could stand on my tippee toes, reach for the window while all the while having something tied to my waist. I would go through the window and lower myself down to the ground and then simply open the door.

After we ate, I decided I would tell the guys about my great idea separately since it seemed they couldn't wait to get away from each other. Howie and AJ ran to one side of the cabin with a deck of cards that AJ had packed in his suitcase, Kevin sat at the table with both hands holding up his weary head. And Brian sat on one of the cots reading a History text book. I had to laugh because even in this situation, I would never choose homework. Even if it was the ONLY thing left on Earth to do.

I decided to walk over to him first, "Hey Bri, whatcha doin?"

"Reading"

"Hey, you think Jim thought about the tutors? I mean don't you think they will be asking about us?" When I said that all heads turned my way. They thought it was a good question. Until they heard Brian's answer.

"Well, not for at least two weeks Nick, remember they were on break. This is just from the long list of homework he left for me" Dejected, everyone went back to what they were doing.

"I didn't even bring my stuff with me"

Brian laughed, "I know and somehow that doesn't surprise me"

"Brian, you wanna hear my plan?"

"Uh huh" He said never even looking up from his book.

"I think I should take the table and move it towards the window" I said looking up hoping to be met with his eyes. Nope. No sign at all of him paying attention to me, "Then I will put the chair on the table"

"Uh huh" Still not even looking or listening.

"Then I will find a big honey bear and sing to it in Japanese while you dance around me in a tu tu"

"Uh huh" I rolled my eyes, "Never mind I'm going to play some cards"

"Kay"

I walked away from him wanting to rip that stupid book out of his hands and nail Kevin in the head with it. I had cabin fever. Literally.

"Hey guys" I said to AJ and Howie who were playing War from the look of things.

"What now squirt"

"I wanted to play. Can I?"

"Sorry Nicky, but War is only for two people. Maybe you can play the winner" Howie said scooping up the cards lying on the table while AJ groaned about it.

"Do you have anything in your suitcase I can use as a rope?" They both looked at me in a strange way.

"I need it for my escape plan"

"Nicky, enough with the escape plan. Leave it to Kevin to figure out"

"WAR!" AJ screamed once again bringing everybody's eyes to one person in the cabin.

"Not a real one...relax" He joked taking the cards and mocking Howie by waving them in his face.

I decided to try Kevin. I walked over and sat across from him instantly imitating his look by using both of my hands to hold my head up. "Is there something you need little man?" He asked.

"Kev, can I please tell you my plan?"

"Nick..let me figure something out okay? Besides I heard what you were telling Brian. It sounds like a good idea but it won't work in here. Trust me"

"Kev, I hope you don't mean the part about him dancing around in a tutu because that was just a joke" He laughed, "No, I meant the stacking the furniture on top of each other. But seeing Brian dance around would be fun to watch"

"Kevin do you think we will actually get out of here? Or are we going to have to wait for Jim to come back?"

Kevin looked so sad. I tilted my head slightly to get a better look at him. He smiled and pat my head. "Yeah buddy, we'll get out of here" He put his hand back under his chin, "And hopefully before Jim comes back"

I hoped so too.

"Hey Kevin, I really think if you hoisted me through the window it would work"

"I know you do kiddo. But it's too dangerous so enough talk of hoisting or climbing okay?"

I nodded.

I watched as he laid his head down on the table. Poor Kevin. He felt like he was so responsible for us. It was really my fault it all happened not his. I wondered if they would hate me if I told them that. Mentioned that I knew we were being kidnapped the whole time. I shook my head. Nope. I wasn't that brave. I would pledge my allegiance to them another way, by getting them out of here.

I decided to wait until early the next morning to put my plan into action. We all went to sleep early and even though I was terrified again, having the flashlights and candles lit helped calm me, besides I was more worried about something going wrong with my near perfect plan. It was early twilight. It was still very dark in the cabin but now putting my hand in front of my face, I was able to make out my fingers. That's when I knew it was time for me to get up.

I stood up and stepped over Brian who slept only a few feet away from me on the floor. I would wake him just before I went through the window. So he could help get me down the other side. They would be mad but once I was able to walk around and open the door for them, they would forgive and forget.

I walked over to the table and as quietly as I could, began to half carry and half drag it over to the window. Luckily, it wasn't that far away from where I needed it to be because a little more noise would have woken everyone up. I went and got the chair. I carried it over to the table and put it on top. Starting to get a little nervous as I did it.

Walking back over to my makeshift bed, I grabbed my rope. Sure I got the idea from an old Brady Bunch rerun but it seemed to work. I had stolen all of our socks and tied them together. I would buy them more after this. They would have to get over it.

I tied the sock rope around my waist and then climbed up on top of the table, "This is it" I whispered to myself taking a deep breath and stepping onto the chair. It was wobbly under my weight and I really thought it was going to fall, but luckily I managed to find a good middle place to stand. I realized I had made a bit more noise then I wanted to when all four guys started stirring in their sleep. I stood there stock still, afraid to even breath. When they all settled back into a nice peaceful sleep, I reached for the window. I was still to damn short though. I tried to get on my tippee tippee toes and doing that I was barely able to reach the sill. I decided to hold onto one of the boards from the window as a brace and when I still had no luck I decided to maybe wake Brian a bit early.

See originally, I planned on Waiting until I was half sitting in the window, then I would call down to Brian, by then it would be too late for any of them to stop me. This way though, I would be screwed. I decided to whisper Brian's name. If he didn't wake I would take that as sign to do it alone.

"Brian?" I whispered,

"Huh?"

"Can you help me out?"

"Later, go back to sleep" He said turning away from me.

Okay that obviously meant that I should do this alone. So I turned back to face the window. God why of all the cabins in the world to be stuck in, did Jim have to go choose one with freaky high ceilings?

I once again stretched for the window but this time I couldn't quite get my balance. I made the situation even worse when I put one of my feet on a board, the chair fell sideways on the table leaving me dangling from the boarded up window. I tried to grab onto anything I could find to break my fall but it was too late. I winced when the back of my head hit the corner of the table. I fell to the ground on my side feeling dizzy and thinking maybe this wasn't such a good idea to begin with. That was pretty much the last real thought I had before the chair I had used to stand on fell and hit me in the head.