Under Pressure
By Ethan P, Age 11
Workshop: The Short Story, Kate Reuther, Fall 2016
I am Eli Morris, but everybody calls me Ninja. Would you like to know why? Well, it’s because my uncle owns a dojo in Southern California and I am his most trained student. I live in San Jose, but he lives in San Francisco. I go to school a few blocks down from my house, so I always take my bike (luckily there are no hills). My two best friends are Parker Sanders and Owen Pinky. We are all in the same class, so in Science, we study together.
It was one Thursday afternoon when we went to science. About halfway through the period, we started to learn about deforestation and how animals are being killed by hunters. The hunters may not know it (and they probably don’t), but they are killing what we like to care for.
* * *
“Breaking news,” Rachel Parks said, “Zoos are taking in as many animals possible, in order to decrease killings of all our favorite animals such as lions, cheetahs, and even llamas. The zoos also ask for donations to make up for all the animals’ habitat loss thanks to those stupid hunters and their crappy ‘deforestation situation.’”
I turned off the TV and headed to the bus stop to go to the dojo.
“Hi, Uncle Dave!”
“Hello, Ninja.”
“Put on your uniform and black belt and we will get started on the usual routine. When my other students get here, you will teach them how to break a board.”
“Yes, Sensei Dave.”
* * *
When I finally got back from the dojo, I was exhausted. I fell right to sleep. “Good Night World,” I mumbled.
That morning, I woke up to the sound of my dog barking at some officers. It turned out, the officers Rocky was barking at were trying to bring him to the pound. They wanted to protect him from the Hunters.
“I appreciate your kind offer, but I can take care of my own dog,” I said. “Thanks.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to take this the hard way,” the man said. “Grab ’im.”
“Wha?” I gasped. “You are not taking me or my dog. Goodbye!”
I crane-kicked the first man as he came at me. Then I sweeped the other man’s legs; and he fell to the ground. I knocked him out by grabbing a pan from the kitchen and waking him with it. The other man had a taser, so I gave him some of his own medicine.
I called 911 and the cops showed up, arrested them, and took them away. I looked the two men up and it turned out they were men who worked for the lumberjacks and were also serial killers that killed both humans and animals. Shocked I went to school.
* * *
At school, Parker was being bullied by the school bully, Frank Frankers (Or as we like to call him, Frank Frankenstein!) Parker had a major wedgie by the time we got to homeroom. Today was his bad day actually. On our science test he got a B-, which isn’t that bad to me, but his parents ground him for any grade lower than an A-; which really sucks. I always get A’s, but no B’s, so life is easier for me.
Anyways, lunch for Parker was even worse because Frankenstein and his gang stole his lunch money, and Owen and I didn’t have any money because we bring our lunch from home so we don’t have to eat the shitty school lunch that tastes like dog crap. The lunch ladies really need to step up their game.
After lunch, Parker got called in for after-school detention because he put a pin cushion on Mr. Gravlin’s chair and it was caught on security footage so that the teacher would have proof and wouldn’t look like a total nut-brain. Owen and I felt bad for him.
That night, I flipped on the TV switch and turned on the news.
“Breaking news,” Rachel Parks said, “The lumberjacks are sadly in town. So far, they have killed three rhinos, four elephants, and 15 dogs.”
I covered Rocky’s ears.
“Now let’s cut into the murders of people. Thirteen townsfolk have been killed since the Lumberjacks have entered California. They have also cut down 57 Redwood trees, and 18 Pine trees,” Rachel Parks stammered. “That’s all for today folks, and now, the weather.”
I switched off the TV. I won’t let the Lumberjacks dent our town anymore! I thought, I’m going to be the one that stops this madness, and puts the bad lunch food in their mouths! Watch out Lumberjacks! You are in for some trouble.
* * *
The next day, I pulled Owen and Parker aside and told them his plan.
“No way, man,” Owen said, “I’m not doing that.
“Dude! You could get yourself killed trying to stop the Lumberjacks!” Parker said.
“All right. But don’t come crying to me when I am the hero of the town and win $1,000,000.” See you guys tomorrow!” I said.
Later that night I was blackmailed. It read: “We Lumberjacks are comin’. You already took down two of us, but can you take down all of us? There are a total of 86 of us. Be ready.”
And that was all. I hadn’t told my parents about it, but I did have a solution for Operation Lumberjack Beat down. I’m going to head over to the police station after school. It will give me more info about the Lumberjacks and bring them to justice!
* * *
A few hours later, I was out of the police station and I was holding a butt-load of candy, and a couple hundred bucks. Not bad for a beginner. Parker and Owen will be so jealous, I thought. I told Parker we could hangout today, so we went over to his house and talked for a while. Then Owen finally asked,” Why are you holding so much money and candy? It’s months before Halloween.”
“Finally, you asked,” I said, “So remember how the day before I said I was going to make a million bucks?”
“Yeah, and?” Owen desperately questioned.
“Wait, you made one million bucks today?” Parker stammered.
“Well, not completely. You see, last night I got an e-mail that was a blackmail from the Lumberjacks. I showed the info to the cops after school today and got 200 bucks plus a butt load of candy. And counting it all out, I have 1,000 pieces of candy in total. Do you still want to be party poopers?” I asked.
“Hell no!” They both screamed immediately.
“Great! Tomorrow after school we’ll meet up at my place and do detective work on this subject.”
* * *
“Now,” Eli said, “Since we are the Lumberjack spies for our town, we have to work for the police.”
“No thanks, man,” Owen said.
“Yeah, no,” Parker said.
“Oh come on guys. Remember when I went to the police station and I got $200 worth of evidence? You guys will help me get the evidence, and we’ll get rewarded for our goddamned help. Plus, when the Lumberjacks get here, we’ll know their plans, and they won’t be able to fight back. We’ll also be able to save and/or protect the wildlife of the forest,” I pleaded.
“Okay, fine,” Parker said, “But this doesn’t mean I’m going to get killed in the next few months right?”
“Yeah,” Owen admitted, “I definitely don’t want to die. You better not let us down.”
“I won’t. And I swear on it.”
“Good! Now let’s get to work,” Owen declared.
* * *
At the Lumberjack headquarters…
“Alright guys,” the head lumberjack, Bob, said, “It’s high time we burn the town down, and leave all the people in ashes. Soon, we’ll have complete control over their town. We can harvest all the animals for food, cut down the trees for shelter, and use the burned town as the largest bonfire that has ever lived. All who want the destruction of the town to be forwarded say ‘aye’.”
“Aye!” shouted all but three people.
“All who oppose say ‘nay,’” Bob said.
“Nay!” shouted Ninja, Parker, and Owen.
“And what are you three boys doin’ here disagreeing with us?” Bob’s goons Tommy and Jack said accidentally together.
“We have the right to stand up for our town, you freaks!” Ninja said. “We have found your base. It’s over!”
“Not unless we pummel you first!” Bob shouted. “Go, go, go!”
And at that moment, Ninja woke up. It was all a dream. He was never going to get pummeled. He never had to smell the stinky breath of the lumberjacks. But he did know where the base was, and now, he had a plan.
Later that day, Ninja went over to Owen and Parker. “Guys, I have figured out a way to put an end to these psycho Lumberjacks.”
“I’m out,” Parker said.
“I’m not. Why would you give up on such a great opportunity?” Owen questioned.
“Fine. But I’m only in if this doesn’t involve going into the Lumberjacks territory,” Parker stated.
“Chicken,” Owen and I said at the same time. “We’re not going in there all alone. We’ll have everyone in town including the cops hiding behind trees, and I’ll say, ‘We’re not the only ones.’ And then snap my fingers, and they’ll come out. Then the Lumberjacks will surrender, and we’ll lock em’ up in the middle of nowhere.”
“I’m out! Again!” Parker declared.
“Fine,” Owen said, “but we won’t give you any credit when we are honored. Sorry.”
“Don’t care. See you around, idiots!”
“Too bad,” I said when he was gone, “I already told the cops my plan and they’ll be here to pick us up early next period, and then give us both 50,000 dollars each. Parker’s missing out.”
“Yup. He’s a loser.”
* * *
Well, I felt a little bad for Parker’s loss, but that’s on him. What really rocks though, is that now, we are taking down the Lumberjacks for good!
“Alright guys,” the chief of police, Robert Skyler said, “We’ve rounded up every official in the U.S. and all the Navy, Army, and Marines out there.”
“Let’s do this!” I said.
We marched until we stopped at the line crossing the woods to the village. As we crossed the line, we heard many noises. Some were peaceful noises like birds chirping, but others sounded like birds dying.
“Everyone be alert. We can’t risk more than one death,” the chief said, “There are 5,000 of us, and only 1,000 of them. It’s still a lot, but we have exactly 4,000 more troops. We’ll split up into five groups. 1,000 troops will go in each group. Then, my group will go through the first door, Colonel Daniel Strett’s group will go through the back door, General Forest Grant will go through the right side door, and finally, Commander Alex Morgan will go through the left side door. Is that clear?”
Everybody nodded.
“Good.”
Once everybody was in their groups, we went into the paths of the separate doorways.
“Is everyone ready?” Rob said through the walkie-talkie.
“Yup,” I said.
“Sì,” Señor Camron said.
“Copy,” Dan said.
“Yes,” Owen said.
“Three, two, one, now!”
We busted the doors open, and every Lumberjack in the room froze.
“Wha-what are you doing here?” Bob sputtered.
“We’re saving the spirit of our town,” I said, proud of what we had accomplished so far.
“Well then,” Jack declared, “Maybe we’ll just have to settle this the hard way.”
“And what is this ‘hard way’?” Owen asked.
Tommy, Bob, and Jack all nodded to each of the lumberjacks. We heard a click, and where we were standing, a trap door opened, and half of us fell. They were all injured. Not badly, but the trapdoor was too tall for any of them to pull themselves up. For a moment, I was glad Owen was standing right next to me, but then I realized, “Oh, crap!”
Owen was being kidnapped by five Lumberjacks.
* * *
After realizing that Owen was captured, I remembered in my dream that if you went to the very back of the Lumberjack headquarters, a secret door will open if you can break a board, and you can rescue anybody in there. I told General Forest to make a ruckus, so that Dan and I could rescue Owen. As we walked out, we could hear the noises of bottles being thrown, and people being pulled up from the trapdoor. When we reached the back of the headquarters, I saw a very thin piece of wood sitting on four cinder blocks. This was close to the thinnest wood in all of history, which made me think the Lumberjacks weren’t so tough after all. I broke the board into millions of pieces, but, the door didn’t open. Which led me to my final decision: kick down the door! Bam! Well, it hurt, but I’m an idiot. There was a god damned mace sitting right next to the door.
“Alright,” Dan said, “Let’s go save Owen.”
To be continued….
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