The Thumb That Saved Us All

I sat in the shadow of the thumb thinking. If there was an onion the night before, there must be others around. Zero and I slept in and out for two days. We ate onions and splashed our hands in dirty water. Zero was very sick. I knew I had to do something to help. I decided to make the journey down the mountain to get the shovel.
I started down the mountain with amazing strength. The onions did wonders. I kept walking and walking and walking. I couldn't believe how far I carried Zero. I stared down the mountain and I saw a patch of weeds. Inside the patch of weeds, I found our stuff. I couldn't believe how far I climbed. The journey up was hard. I had to stop a few times. It was unbelievable that I could have done what I did. It made me proud.
Zero started to get better with the water. He was so close to dying at some points that it was a miracle that he could be alive. I had dug a water hole almost as big as a hole a camp green lake. Zero wanted to help but I thought it was best that he saved his strength. I was very surprised I didn't get sick from the water or the sploosh. This was another miracle under god's thumb.
When he was better Zero told me about his past. He told me about how he would only go to the homeless shelter if there was bad weather and how he dreamed of becoming a cub scout. This made me thankful for what I had at home. Also Zero followed up on his confession. He told me he stole the shoes because he needed them and because he could not afford them. This made me feel better because I knew that I wasn't a criminal. Later Zero helped dig the hole. Now it was very, very deep. Even in his condition he could outdig me easily. Zero threw down his shovel and declared that that was ther last hole he'd ever dig. I laughed but I had a kink in my stomach. I knew that soon, we'd have to return to Camp Green Lake.
Two nights later while watching the stars a plan formulated in my head. What if we could fill up our bag with onions and water and when we get to Camp we steal some food and water and we head to civilization? I knew this was crazy. I knew it would never, ever work. I decided not to go through with it. I then started to think. I asked Zero if he wanted to dig another hole.
As Zero and I packed up supplies the next day, we were preparing for our journey to Camp. We were going to sneak to the Camp, dig in my old hole for treasure and when trouble comes we steal some food and start running along the dirt road back to civilization. The next morning we headed down the mountain. As we were walking out in the desert we started a contest to see who could go the longest without water. In the end we drank some at thew same time. While we were siting in the shade of the Mary Lou, Zero talked more about his childhood. Surprisingly, the part about losing his stuffed giraffe Jaffy made me very sad. After a long debate on which direction the Camp was, we set off again. Once again. the sounds of Camp green lake penetrated our ears. We dived into some holes and waited. We came out after all the boys had finished their holes and a little bit longer. Then we snuck towards the camp. We lowered ourselves into my hole and let the camp fall asleep. After all the sounds of the camp dissapeared, we started to dig. As I was digging, Zero decided to refill the water jars. When he returned he startled me. Zero had also brought some breakfast cereal with him. After nothing but onioins for a long time, it almost made me gag. Later, when Zero came back from his second trip refilling the water jars, my shovel bounced of something hard. I had found a treasure chest! We began the hard task of removing the chest from the ground. It was extremely hard work. We had to dig carefully to protect the hole from caveing in. After much hard work, the case came free. It was some sort of metal suitcase. Before we could even glance at it, a light was shone in our eyes.
The sound of the Warden's voice filled our ears. The entire staff came running. They came closer to us but the dreaded yellow-spotted lizards were all over us. I was absoloutely terrified. These animals were like living death. They were all over us and the suitcase. We didn't dare move or speak. the councillers (mostly Mr.Pendaski) were terrified. We were standing in a lizard nest. Never before had I been so scared. The Warden and the councillers just sat there waiting. Waiting for the end. Waiting for our end. Nothing could be more erie than someone waiting for your death. A short while later, a lizard lunged towards Mr.Pendaski. Mr.Sir shot it mid-air. The force of the bullet caused me to shudder. The lizards started to run across me. We were somehow still alive. The Warden and the staff started talking about how long it would be before we die and how they would cover up the deaths. After that discussion, Mr.Pendaski told me that I had been found innocent and if I had stayed in Camp Green Lake, this would have never happened. That didn't make me feel any better.
At 4:30 the camp started to wake up. The Warden ordered to keep the boys inside the tents and to threaten to severely punish them if they misbehave. I moved slightly. The lizards didn't mind. Even later I found myself in the same godforsaken hole with the same godforsaken lizards crawling on me. Then Zero started to sound something out. At first it sounded like gibberish but it soon sounded like something familiar. I wondered what it could be. Soon there was another woman at the side of the hole. At least this one wanted me to live and cared about getting him out because she was arguing with the Warden on how to get us out safely. It felt good to have a decent person around. There was also a man with her who had a strong Texas accent. He seemed to care for our well-being to. As the Woman threatened to file a lawsuit against the Warden, the Warden started to lie on how distressed they were about this and how much they cared for us boys. I would believe a pile of dirt over her. She then went on to lie to them about why I wasn't released to him and she even tried to convince them that I was insane. The nerve!
I tried to climb out of the hole. I tried not to disturb the lizards but I had to get out or risk dying. There was no other way. As I climbed up, the little lizards scurried away. I then helped Zero up who was holding the suitcase and like for me, all his lizards scurried back into the hole. The Warden came up to us pretending to be concerned. The Warden tried to take the suitcase from Zero but the woman (who was actually my attorney) stopped her. Zero said that it had belonged to me. On the case were letters spelling my name. Stanley Yelnats. We all walked back to camp. The man was actually the Texas attorney general and had the authorization to release me. As Mr.Sir gathered my things, the Warden just stood there dazed. The Warden wanted me to open the case. She deperately wanted to see the contents. The woman stopped me. She advised me not to. I didn't. The Attorney General then officialy released me and the laywer tried to hustle me out but I couldn't leave Zero. They said there was nothing they could do and again tried to make me leave. I wouldn't take no for an answer. When my attorney saw that there was no reasoning with me, she asked to see Zero's file. The attorney general ordered the Warden to get it and when they could not, the Texas attorney general layed into them.
Later while the general was trying to fix Zero's file, my camp group came to see me. They congradulated me for my release and after Squid asked me for a favour, they left. I was happy to leave them behind.
After the General came out and explained that they could not locate Zero's file, my attorney decided that he would come with us and he did. Later in the backseat of my attorney's car, she explained that she was my dad's patent attorney for his new invention. I felt reallt proud. The curse had worn off. When Zero tried to explain that he was the one who stole the shoes the attorney stopped him. She didn't want him getting in more trouble. We then asked what my dad invented she said that he invented a foot de-odorizer. It smelled very familiar. As we fell asleep in the back of the car, the first drop of rain to fell on the lake in over a hundred years fell.

Still to this day, my mother claims there isn't a curse but my dad still invented the foot product the day after I carried Zero up the hill so I thimk it may have existed. This makes me wonder. The Attorney General closed Camp Green Lake and dedicated it to the girl scouts. Later it became a girl scout camp much to Mr.Sir's demise. When we pried open the case we found jewlels and stock papers. Zero and I were both rich. We bought a new house and Zero hired a team of private investigators. Later I found myself inbetween my favourite baseball player(Clyde Livingston) and his wife watching a new commercial for my dad's knew product with Zero sitting with his mom. Nothing in the world could have felt better. The End.

Survival

The next day Zigzag claimed it was his birthday. No one believed him but he claimed it was July 8. While I was trying to figure out how long I had been at camp, Zero astonished me again with his math skills. He calculated that I had been at the Camp for Forty-Six days.
While getting his breakfast Zigzag asked Mr.Sir for an extra carton of juice because it was his birthday. It was shocking. Mr.Sir actually gave it to him.
When we went out on the lake I kept gazing into the distance, searching for the thumb. Sometimes I wondered if it really was actually there. I thought that this could have been where my great-grandfather had been robbed. Could Kissin Kate Barlow have lived near here? Could this be the spot?
The guys really ticked me off later. They kept at me for letting Zero dig my hole. They made a big deal about how I was supposedly better than them for letting Zero dig my hole. Zigzag later challenged me. I tried to back away but he kept at me, pushing and shoving me all over the place. Then Mr.Pendaski told me to hit him back. When I tried, Zigzag came on me, pounding me with his fists. Before anyone knew it, Zigzag was off me. Zero had him in a chocking hold and was squeezing hard. Armpit rammed into both of them and freed Zigzag. Mr. Pendaski fired his pistol into the air and all the councillors came running. The Warden came and started asking questions. Then the fact came up that I had Zero digging part of my hole. I tried to explain the deal I had with Zero but the councillor started quizzing Zero on the things that I had taught him. Once Zero had failed on the third question, all the councillors started making fun of him. Then the Warden made it clear that I had to dig my own hole. She also told me that I wasn't allowed to teach him to read and write. They said this made him dangerous. This infuriated me. Then Zero said that he wouldn't dig another hole. He then took a shovel and hit Mr.Pendaski over the head with it. He was knocked unconscious. The councillors drew there guns while Zero slowly backed farther and farther away. The Warden ordered them not to shoot him but to guard all water sources so that when he returned they would bring him to her. At that moment I wanted to hit her like Zero had hit Mr.Pendaski. She then ordered us to dig all seven holes. I was infuriated at everyone. I was angry at myself to. I should have never let him dig my hole and now I was digging his. I thought about running after him into the desert but restrained myself. I tried to think of a way to get Zero back but there was no way. The thumb was to far and there was no way to reason with the Warden. And on top of that X-Ray would be out to get me if I ever told the Warden where I really found the tube. There was no way I could help Zero.
When I got back to Camp, I found Mr.Sir, Mr. Pendaski and the Warden waiting for me. They bombarded me with questions in a hope to locate Zero. What they did next shocked me and filled me with rage. The Warden told the staff to eliminate all of Zero's files from the Internet. They wanted to make Zero disappear. They wanted him to die.
The next day a new kid joined our group. His name was Twitch and was arrested for stealing cars. I couldn't stop thinking about Zero. I wondered if he could really survive.
While out on the lake, Mr.Sir came to fill the canteens. I couldn't stop thinking about Zero. I had to help him. Suddenly I had a thought. What if I could get the truck filled with water to Zero and then drive away? I snuck around to the front of the truck and saw the keys hanging in the ignition. I could steal it! Before I knew it, I was in the truck turning the ignition. At first I couldn't get it to move but as soon as Twitch said to put it in gear I was off. It seemed like as soon as I took off the airbag exploded. I had driven into a hole. I rolled out of the truck and took off running with my empty canteen strung around my neck. I kept walking. Nobody chased me and soon the voices and the sound of the truck's engine were soon behind me. I headed towards the Big Thumb.
I decided to walk a fair distance and then turn back. I couldn't possibly make it all the way to the thumb. As I kept walking there were more and more holes. There were holes everywhere. I kept finding more and more of them. It was mind boggling to think about how many there were. I walked passed one hole full of yellow spotted lizards. I immediately turned and ran. I ran until I collapsed. Then I saw something in the distance. It was a burlap sack. Inside was a sunflower seed. I kept walking towards the mountains. I thought about giving up but the mountain with the thumb kept me going. It encouraged me. I saw a object in the distance. It wasn't on my current path but In decided to head for it. Reaching the thumb was an impossible dream to me. As I drew closer, the shape formed into a piece of a boat. I thought it was kind of funny seeing a boat way out here. As I came even closer, I saw the name Mary Lou painted on the boat. Also I noticed a tunnel that was big enough for a full sized animal to enter through. I heard rustling underneath and I shouted "Hey!". A voice repeated me. An orange sleeve came from under the boat with an arm inside it. I had found Zero! He looked terrible. His face was cracked and his lips were almost white. He asked for water. I told him I didn't have any. He offered me something called sploosh and he then invited me under the boat. It was cooler under the boat with enough light to see. Zero was holding some kind of jar which he smashed the top off of. He drank some and then offered it to me. At first I was hesitant but I soon drank the rich liquid. It was very good. I then told Zero that we had to go back but he refused. He would never go back. A few minutes later Zero was on the ground clutching his stomach in pain. He tried ot reason with Zero to bring him back to camp but he wouldn't go. If he had to, he'd die out here. I then showed him the mountain.
We salvaged as much as we could from the boat and then headed toward the mountain. Soon Zero was clutching his stomach agian. I waited until he was able to keep going to start walking again. We started talking but he fell down in pain again. The sploosh was killing him. When he got up and we continued, he asked for some words to sound out. It helped Zero and me. We kept walking towards the thumb. I thought about dying out here and how much i'd be leaving behind. We both wondered what would be on top of the thumb. Would it save us?
We came to the end off the lake and there was nothing but a giant wall in front of us. We started to climb with Zero barely making it. He groaned in pain all the time now. After Zero had pulled me up a large ledge there was nothing but easy clinbing. We were in the shadow of god's thumb. We zigzaged up the mountainside in a desperate attempt to reach the top.
We kept going out of desperation. When it got darker, bugs came out. In the middle of spelling a word, Zero made an awful noise and keeled over. He threw up and kept going. There were weeds and bugs everywhere. There must be water around we thought. Zero gave a thumbs up and then fell. I tried to get him up but he wouldn't move. Zero laid there. Still. I left our stuff behind and hoisted Zero onto my shoulders and I continued to walk. I kept going with amazing strength from deep within. I made it to the base of the thumb and collapsed into a muddy ditch. The smell of despair hung around me. I suddenly had a thought. You need water to nmake mud! I desperately dug a hole in the mud and licked at the dirty water. I soon pushed Zero's head in, making him drink. I then dug up an onion from the mud and gave half to Zero. It was good.
I woke up in a meadow looking at the thumb. It was a nice colour. I rolled over and drank from the water hole. Then Zero moaned. I decided that I would go get the shovel soon to make the water hole deeper. If I didn't get enough water Zero would die. Zero muttered something and I told him not to speak. He insisted and then when I let him speak he have me a confession. He told me that he was the one who who stole the shoes from the shelter. I forgave him and the confession gave me a good feeling. I fell asleep singing my families song that had been passed on for generations.

The Rattlesnake Warden

I was in deep trouble. Huge trouble. The most trouble I could be in at Camp Green Lake. Even in all this trouble I was able to appreciate the shade of the two oak trees as I passed between them. When Mr. Sir knocked on the door, the Warden opened it up. Mr.Sir said that there was some trouble on the lake and she invited us inside. I felt awful. Her cabin was air conditioned. She turned off a T.V. and sat down. She asked what the problem was. Mr. Sir explained the situation and told her how he thought that I was covering up for the real thief. Again I took the blame. Inside I was screaming "It was X-Ray!" but I kept my cool. Mr.Sir finished and then Warden asked me to fetch her a flowered case in another room. I got it for her and she opened it. It was a make-up case. It was kinda weird if I do say so myself. Having this kinda of situation on her hands and all she can think about is make-up. She held out a bottle of liquid and explained to me how she has come by it. She explained that it was nail polish and how she made it herself with her secret ingredient, rattlesnake venom. She then ran the back of her hand down my face making my skin tingle. When she touched my wound, the pain made me jump back. She then confronted Mr. Sir asking him if he thought I stole the seeds. When he replied no, she struck him across the face with her polish still wet. Mr. Sir started to writhe in agony and screamed over and over. The Warden said to me to go back to my hole. When I asked if he was going to die she replied, "No, Unfortunately for you.".
I started the long walk back to my hole thinking about what had happened. I wondered what Mr.Sir would do to me. I thought about my pig stealing great-great grandfather's son and how he felt after being robbed and stranded in the desert by Kissin Kate Barlow. The man had somehow survived for seventeen days in the desert before some rattlesnake hunters found him. When they asked him how he survived he said he found refuge on god's thumb. He was insane from his time in the desert. He spent a while in the hospital where he married one of the nurses. Nobody ever found out what he meant about god's thumb.
Caught up in my thinking, I almost stepped on a rattlesnake. It would have bitten me if I stepped on it but it's rattle had saved me. I started to run to my group, a little shaken after what had just happened. I could have sworn that my heart had skipped a beat.
When I got back to my group they asked about what had happened. They seemed surprised that I was still alive which kind of disturbed me. I didn't tell them about Mr. Sir hoping I could avoid the conversation altogether. When I went to my hole, it was already dug for me. I asked who did it but nobody took the credit for the work. I then noticed that Zero's hole was smaller than all the others. I was the first done. I spat into my hole and then returned to camp. Zero took no credit for digging my hole.
Later when I thanked him I asked why he did it he said, "you didn't steal the seeds.". When I said, "Neither did you." he sad something that confused me. He said, "you didn't steal the sneakers either." This really puzzled me. When he left, I ran out after him and offered to teach him to read. He agreed. We went inside and I started to teach him about the letters of the alphabet. Whenever I asked him to recite something he did so without even a single mistake. He also astounded me with his math skills. He didn't know anything about adding or multiplying but just knew the answer. What a weird kid! We decided on a system where I would teach him a certain amount of letters everyday and he would help me out by digging part of my hole every day. Later that night as I layed awake, I thought about how the deal I made with Zero would seem to the other guys and I also figured out where the initials on the tube came from. They could be from the famous outlaw, Kissin Kate Barlow.
The next morning at breakfast I was only semi-conscious in the line for food with Mr.Sir watching me like a lion about to pounce on it's prey. Suddenly there was a crash. Mr.Sir was holding a kid who just asked what had happened to his face. Mr.Sir scared the living daylights out of the poor kid. Mr.Sir made it very clear that no one should be commenting on his face.
Later while I was out on the lake, Mr.Sir came to fill everyones canteens. When it was my turn he purposely missed my canteen and let the water seep into the ground. It was one of the worst things I could have imagined him doing although it doesn't seem like it. The wasted water was like somebody destroying gold. It was very precious.
Three days later I found myself digging a hole under the scorching sun. It had been three days since the Warden had slapped Mr.Sir and every time he filled my canteen, he let the water fall to the ground leaving me to stare at it with a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Although having Zero dig part of my hole everyday was a great thing, it didn't sit well with the other guys. They made a ton of sarcastic remarks and complaints about it. Even if I tried to explain the deal I had with Zero they would ignore me. It left me to wonder what these people really were deep down.
The next time Mr.Sir came to give us water he filled mine up but when he filled it he went around to the cab with it and came back. He told me to drink it. I didn't. I left it by my hole but was so thirsty I had to dump it to avoid temptation. I'm still wondering and fearing what he put in there. Later while teaching Zero he told me his real name. He said his name was Hector Zeroni.
The next day while digging my hole, the weather changed. The humidity rose because of a storm in the distance. Between flashes of lightning, I could see the mountains in the distance. I couldn't usually see the mountains but with the lightning I could see them clearly. Through one flash, I saw a rock form that looked like a giant fist with one thumb sticking up in the air on top of one of the mountains. Then it was gone. This got me thinking. Could this possibly be the thumb on which my great grandfather took refuge before he was found insane in the desert? Could this possibly be it?