Bedtime Stories

The Fourth Tunnel

"You really should stop ditching school, Myra." I said and kicked a pebble with my foot. My cousins and I walked alongside the railroad tracks in our sleepy little town. The day was hotter than usual. "Miss Duncan is really mad." Myra balanced herself on the rail, as if she was a tightrope walker. Every now and then, her arms went out to her sides so she could catch her balance. "Who cares? You know that lady has had it out for me since the day I walked into her class." "That's because you were late." Myra almost lost her balance, but grabbed a hold of her little brother Alex, beside her. We stopped long enough for her to glare at me for my comment, and then we came to the bend in the tracks. Myra hopped off and led the way. We had come to our friends' house.

Myra stood on the street and tossed a little stick at the bedroom window to get Jacquelin's attention. "Jacqueline!" She called her. "Jackie!" The windowpane lifted, and Jackie poked her head out. "What?" She demanded. "Are you coming with us, or are you still mad at me?" "I don't know," Jackie, answered sarcastically. "Are we going to find a frog prince today?" Alex giggled at the remark. "Oh, come on. I have apologized. I didn't really think you would kiss the frogs." Myra rolled her eyes. "Please come, Jackie." I said. She paused and shut the window. A minute later, she appeared outside. "Where are we going?" Jackie asked with caution. She never trusted Myra. "The tunnels,” Myra replied, and started to walk away. Jackie shook her head. "No, you guys. You know the sheriff said we had to stay away." We kept walking. "You guys...guys? Wait up!"

"Besides Alex, none of us really liked playing in the tunnels. They were part of the ditch and smelled funny. Myra just liked to go there because she knew we were not supposed to. Therefore, after about ten minutes, we climbed out and sat on a nearby bench. It always seemed to me that Myra and Jackie never got along. As soon as we sat down, Alex darted away. Almost automatically, Jackie began lecturing Myra about how she should watch her brother more closely. Myra rolled her eyes. When Jacqueline did not stop, Myra pointed to the ground. "Hey Jackie, look...a frog." At that moment, she realized that Alex was gone. "Christopher, where's Alex?" I glanced around. I could not see him anywhere. We heard him scream. Just then, Alex came darting out of the nearby trees. His face was white, and he looked sick.

"Guys," he huffed. "Guys," he puffed. "Guys, there's a body in one of the tunnels." The tunnels were right behind us. "No sir,” I told him. "Yeah," Myra agreed. "And what do you mean a body? We were just in them." Alex grabbed hold of our hands and led us around the bend of the ditch to a fence. Beyond the fence was a big house. We ducked down. "That's Old Man River's house," Myra told us. "He's the meanest guy in town." Alex pointed to a tunnel beyond the fence. "That's where the body is," he said. "I didn't even know that tunnel was there..." Jacqueline whispered. She told us that it was on private property anyway and suggested that we leave. I glanced in Myra's eyes. They had that shine in them that she always got when she was curious. I know that it meant trouble for us. Again, Jackie said we should go. To my surprise, Myra came without even a single word. Back at her house, Myra quickly found some camping supplies. When she was done, she walked right past us and out the door.

"Myra, where are you going?" I asked. She stopped and turned toward us. "Well, this doesn't change anything. There's still a body, right?" "Right,” Alex beamed and trudged after his sister. He knew all along that she would not let him down. Jacqueline complained almost instantly. "Hello? Guys, private property. Does that not mean anything to you?" I wanted to stay with Jackie but a part of me also wanted to investigate. Therefore, she followed me. In the moonlight, Myra's eyes fell on her little brother. He'd been waiting there for her to come out. The tunnel was dark inside. We crouched down so we could not be seen. "Yuck. What does that smell? Alex, are you sure you saw a body?" He nodded. "Go check again." Jacqueline told him. "No way, you go check." He said, and hid behind me.

"Chris, you go." Someone volunteered me, but my feet could not move. Finally, Myra had enough. "You bunch of babies. Give me the flashlight. I'll go." We handed it over, almost gratefully. Myra made her way into the tunnel. It was damp and dark. Somewhere she heard water dripping. The smell had grown to a stench, and she felt sick to her stomach. She thought she saw something, but she dropped the flashlight. "Darn," she said and fumbled around in the dark. When she finally found it, she turned the light to a nearby wall. That is when it came across a familiar face. A dead man stared back at her. "Ahhh!" "Myra came running out of the tunnel the way that Alex had. "That's a dead body alright," she said once she caught her breath. "It's Tucker Manning." Tucker was known as the town drunk and we believed him to be one of the nicest people we had ever met. We had all been sad to find out that he has been missing for a few days. "Was he murdered?" I asked. She shrugged. "That's the only thing that makes sense. Let's get out of here." Therefore, we ran and met again at Myra's house.

They came home to well no home. Abadi’s families were outside furnisher and all. A tear was rolling down June’s cheek and once she saw Abadi she rushed to meet him. Then glancing at George and taking him into a bear like hug kissing his forehead and singing words in Egyptian. George felt loved and felt warm and fuzzy on the inside a feeling never quite felt before in his life. June explained that they had not been able to afford to stay and had ignored bills for so long that they were forced to move out to the streets. That gave George the best idea yet but before saying anything at all he took Abadi aside and explained. Abadi hugged George tightly and nodded his small teeth forced into an extremely satisfied smile.

“So you see they call them council houses in England. You would be more than welcome. Of course, I would be going back to the care home. However, you would stay closed and well looked after. And benefits yes benefits they help too I’ve read all about it, it would be just perfect!” George exclaimed tears of joy dropping on the belt clutched in his hands. June looked over sadly to Abadi’s father, whose eyes were narrowed deep in thought. “I do not think Abadi’s father would like to move he has been here since a little boy he would hate to leave this city behind.”

She said sadly her deep brown eyes were sad and focused and on her ring which she was shining on her satin dress. Abadi’s father suddenly spoke his voice tough and clear. “We must go. Happy I will not be. Not for a while but it is a sacrifice I must make for my family. All of us together as one will move to England we need no one else. No visits to care home nothing just us.” In addition, he nodded to himself as if all decided and arranged. Abadi wailed out in Egyptian, How they could not leave George did not tell his father about the goblet. His father’s stony expression did not change at all.

“The reason I said no visit to care home because, George lives with us now Abadi. We adopt George, like our family, he laughed a hearty laugh grabbed George and threw him high up into the air. George could not have felt happier at that moment. That night on the boat back to England George and Abadi stroked the goblet. It glinted and suddenly a dazzling yellow light circulated it. It raised forwards into the air and began to speak in an ancient tongue. Abadi nodded to tell George he understood. His eyes went wide with astonishment. “The goblet it says… it says.” He spluttered unable to finish. “What Abadi, what does the goblet say?”

Abadi gulped loudly cleared his throat and continued after the voice which seemed to repeat itself. “You have found the goblet of sandfire hill well done congrats but there is no time to celebrate but we award you just three wishes, spend it on something wise though not on crops or dirty dishes. Remember the power involved you could take over Tutankhamen Remises anyone you want but just three wishes then you do something for us.” The goblet went silent with a long hiss releasing steamy air into the atmosphere. George’s mouth hung open he shook his head in disbelief. “No, that’s impossible it can’t be a magic.

Come one really did it really say that?” George hissed eager to find out more as the goblet sank back down softly into Abadi’s hands. “Exactly that but what should we wish for?” Abadi whispered in his ear. George knew exactly what and as his head filled with different thoughts, he smiled an evil smile.

“So you’re saying the three things we wish for us, eternal life for us and the family, a really expensive house with everything we have ever wanted and butler, chef and adventures every weekend!” Abadi laughed at this he mockingly pushed George and held his stomach tears streaming down his cheeks as he laughed. Then like a mad man he sat bolt upright and spoke quickly. “That George my friend is not a bad idea.” They closed there eyes and wished their breath was knocked out as the boat gave a jolt and was magically at England.

The strode threw the crowds chins in the air glancing at each other now and again to see how each other was looking proud or just to excited. Then a bedraggled boy jumped out, he was thing and his cheekbones jutted out. He grabbed George and clung onto his ripped clothes. “George your back I don’t believe it. Is it really, you I was so worried. But, I always believed in you and now your back.” Joe shouted out his voice croaky it sounded unused for months. Abadi’s eyes were alight with anger and snatched Joe throwing him with force against the cobbles. George stepped in-between them.