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.
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