An Excerpt from a Writing Project

From The Crazy Chicken Escapade

It started out as a great day, as normal. What would not make a nice summer day so great? One would assume that the only thing to make a summer day not so great would be the menacing rain cloud that normally lurks behind the sun. Rain was not on the radar today, so that was a sign that today would be well spent doing something productive. And Dacston knew that he had company today.

Two acquaintances of the dinosaurs’, who go by the names of Jack Enjille and Angela, were coming over for coffee hour. Or, in Andrew’s case, tea hour. He is not a huge fan of coffee. And, for that matter, neither are David or Levi.

Andrew remembered Jack Enjille and Angela from the journey to Galavanti Island when he visited the dinosaurs with his siblings. David and Levi, however, had no idea who Jack Enjille and Angela were at this time. But they would possibly get to meet them today.

It was now noon, and the two guests were going to be here any time. The three boys made sweet and sour chicken and rice for lunch, while they were waiting for the party to get started. Then, just as David, Andrew, and Levi were setting the table, there was a knock on the door. Valpatic opened the door and let the two guests inside.

“Hello, good people,” Jack Enjille greeted at the front door.
“Hello,” said Dacston and Jokie in unison.
“My name is Jack Enjille, and this is my partner in crime, Angela.”
“Pleased to meet you all,” said Angela.
“So, what brings you to Galavanti Island on this glorious day, besides coming to our humble abode?” Dacston asked the two guests.
“Well, we are looking for a place to put our strawberry lemonade business. Today is the first day that we would operate.”
“Hopefully somewhere shady,” Jack remarked.
“And somewhere that has benches. We’d like people to stay a little longer than normal.”
“Because of how amazing strawberry lemonade is?” Valpatic asked.
“Yes, and they will want more strawberry lemonade!”

Before lunch, Jack Enjille and Angela brought out their ingredients and made their own strawberry lemonade in the kitchen. Five minutes passed quickly, and they brought out a delicate pitcher of the delightful lemonade. The table was already set, and everyone decided to have lunch now. While everyone was at the table, eating their delicious sweet and sour chicken with rice, they did not make any conversation; that was how hungry they all were. Not even the world “my” was said for the next fifteen minutes.

Then, after those fifteen minutes passed, David, Andrew, and Levi found themselves cleaning up. Dacston and Valpatic talked to Jack Enjille about his potential business. Jokie and Sammy decided to take a dip in the pool. After the table was cleaned up, and the dishes were put away, Andrew and Levi decided to do what they often do: play classic video games. David wanted to have some time to himself and go on a walk. And Angela fell asleep. With her head up in a weird position.

“Angela is a weird lady,” Levi noted.
“Because of her hair?” Andrew questioned.
“Indeed.”
“I realized. Her hair is orange when she is awake, and then it turns to purple when she is sleeping. She is like a chameleon.”
“Wow. I never noticed that,” Levi remarked.
“I thought it was pretty interesting,” Andrew stated.
“To change the subject….where’s David?”
“Good question.”
“I just realized he wasn’t here.”
“I did as well.”

Fifteen minutes later, Andrew and Levi were hoping to do something out of the ordinary. They had known that David had gone for a walk, but they thought that he might have come back by now. Then again, maybe not. The two boys decided to go and try to find him. They also noticed that Dacston, Valpatic, and Jack Enjille were gone, so the strawberry lemonade business was probably going to launch today. Angela, of course, was still sleeping; her hair was purple, and she was still in the same awkward position.

Andrew and Levi had walked around the area for a few minutes, and there was no sign of David. They weren’t quite sure where to look beyond where they were. However, they saw a walking path near a bush, so they decided to take that walking path as far as it could go in hopes of finding their friend. While walking on the path, they heard the distinct sound of a person’s feet hitting the pavement in a fast pace. Then, that same person tagged Andrew and Levi on the shoulders. When the two boys turned around to see who would do such a thing….

Andrew and Levi both realized it was David. They were obviously relieved.

“David! Where were you?!” Levi asked their friend.
“Oh, I got a strawberry lemonade from a vendor,” David said.
“What?! Where are they? I want one!”
“I want one, too!” Andrew exclaimed.
“The vendor is right around the corner,” said David.
“We should go over and get ourselves one. Come to think of it, I’m pretty thirsty,” Levi remarked.
“We can go over there if you’d like.”
“Sweet!”
“Like a strawberry lemonade!”
“Good one, David. Good one.”

After laughing at that joke, the three boys ran as quickly as they could to the same strawberry lemonade vendor. It really wasn’t that far away from where they were, so what the heck? It was summer anyway, and high school freshmen could have a little childish fun, now couldn’t they? David, Andrew, and Levi decided to race each other to the vendor, which was perhaps a half-mile away. The three boys were all having quite a lot of fun on their way to get some strawberry lemonade, and it was moments like these that made summer amazing.

Before they knew it, David, Levi, and Andrew had made it to the strawberry lemonade vendor. Andrew had won the race to get here, and so he definitely felt the need to celebrate his victory. Even though David and Levi did not win, they still wanted a strawberry lemonade as well. All three boys wanted something refreshing, and this would definitely do the trick. Upon arriving at the vendor, they noticed some familiar faces, including Dacston’s, Valpatic’s, Jack Enjille’s, and….Angela’s? She must have woken up from her awkward nap. And her hair was a reddish orange again.

“What will it be for you boys?” Angela asked the three boys.
“I was actually here a few minutes ago,” David remarked.
“Two strawberry lemonades, for me and my buddy, Andrew,” Levi said, somehow sounding like his dad.
“Two strawberry lemonades coming up. Oh, and by the way, today is the day when all strawberry lemonades are on the house. Just consider yourselves lucky that you came today,” Angela explained.
“Sweet!” Andrew exclaimed.
“Like a strawberry lemonade,” Levi remarked, making light of an old joke.
“Good one, Levi. Good one.”
“Our strawberry lemonades are free!”
“That is exciting, to say the least!”
“Your strawberry lemonades will be out in a jiffy,” Angela said to Andrew and Levi.

David, Andrew, and Levi did not wait two minutes for Angela to create the sweet and tangy goodness. Apparently the business had been booming on the first day. Even Jack Enjille was surprised at the turnout; then again, not quite shocked. He knew that, as a team, they could do a well enough job of strategizing and making sure their products were perfect. Andrew could hear Jack Enjille mumble the number 309.

That number probably meant the number of customers that they’ve had thus far. Not too bad for a few hours into the first day on the job. Dacston, Valpatic, and Jack Enjille were conversing about their success, while Angela gave the boys strawberry lemonade in green and red cups, Andrew’s and Levi’s favorite colors respectively. Incidentally, David’s strawberry lemonade was served in a blue cup, which happens to be his favorite color. After Andrew and Levi received their strawberry lemonades, they each took a sip.

“This strawberry lemonade is amazing,” Levi remarked to Andrew. David ordered himself a second helping.
“I know it is,” Andrew replied.
“There has to be a secret recipe or something.”
“I was thinking the exact same thing. What do you think it could be?”
“I’m not sure. What do you think it is?” Levi asked.
“I don’t know wha….wait. There’s a label on the cup that we were all unaware of,” Andrew remarked.
“Oh really. What does it say?”
“Hold on, brother!”
“Is it in small text?”
“It is, actually.”

The boys, being as curious as they always have been, decided to take a look at the label. Levi squinted at the small text until he could really make out what it said. Then, Andrew followed suit, realizing the same thing as Levi. David was just enjoying his own strawberry lemonade. The only thing he wanted right now was to enjoy the strawberry lemonade while on a seemingly fictitious island and then go swimming in a nearby lake. However, Andrew and Levi had their own priorities straight. They really wanted to know what the label said, and they were going to do whatever they set their mind to do. David would eventually, but he just wanted to live in the moment. Andrew and Levi wanted to find out for themselves what the label said, and then they would live in the moment. After spending all but five minutes squinting eyes and trying to concentrate on reading the label, the two interested boys somehow laughed to themselves.

“That’s interesting,” Levi remarked after he and Andrew read the label.
“David, did you know that there is a label on the cup that gives us the recipe to make this strawberry lemonade?” Andrew asked their friend.
“No, I didn’t know that,” David replied.
“Well, there is. See for yourself.”
“It was very good, though.”

The three kids finished their strawberry lemonades, and then they decided to run back to Dacston’s humble abode. Why not, even though it might not have been the best idea in mind? Oh well, the three boys just wanted to have some competition amongst themselves. David and Levi took a few puffs on their inhalers, while Andrew was waiting patiently. Then, he started off without the two asthmatics, who soon ran after him.

The three boys were screaming and shouting and just having a crazy time. They probably ran a good half-mile at least. Maybe even more than that, but the time just passed very quickly. However, the half-mile that they had gone had taken them a different route and away from Dacston’s house. What the heck. David, Andrew, and Levi were having some childish fun, even though they’re nearly fifteen years old, so they just wanted to live in the moment. However, after running as quickly as they could for a few minutes, they all grew very tired, and they all stopped to take a breather.

“My heart’s pounding,” Andrew remarked.
“My heart’s pounding, too,” Levi said.
“My heart’s pounding, three,” David stated.
“How’s everyone doing, though?” Andrew asked.
“Fine, I think. I don’t want to run back to the house. My ankle’s sore,” Levi replied.
“I’m sore all over,” David said plainly.

The three kids did not try to run back to Dacston’s house because they weren’t quite sure where they were. However, they saw a strip mall across the street from a park where they found themselves. There were eight businesses in that strip mall: Tomato’s Ice Cream Parlor, Tortellini’s Pizza Place, Tortilla’s Elote Shop, Toledo’s Chili Market, Tonelli’s Spaghetti Shop, Today’s Video Games, Toby’s Corned Beef Factory, and, last but not least, Bart’s Novelty Store. David, Andrew, and Levi saw a pattern in the names of the businesses until the very last one, but they only looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Businesses can come and go. And, then again, these businesses probably did well enough that they didn’t need to move elsewhere.

The three boys, being as curious as they always have been, decided to check out Today’s Video Games. There were probably some very good games in stock, even though they were most likely from….today, or at least in the present era. David, Andrew, and Levi did not run to the strip mall; they walked. They were very excited to see and possibly play the video games. Until a T-rex, a brachiosaurus, a velociraptor, and a stegosaurus, who were not Dacston and his comrades, stopped them right in their tracks.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Selfish Arnie, the red T-rex shouted at the three boys.
“Uh, we’re going….uh….to the pizza place! Want to come with?” Andrew replied, feeling uneasy.
“No, sillyhead! There’s no pizza place around for another thirty minutes or so!”
“Then, what’s the name of that one place over there?” Levi asked, as he pointed toward Tortellini’s Pizza Place.
“That is Tomato’s Ice Cream Parlor, sillyhead.”
“Tomato’s Ice Cream Parlor is right next to Tortellini’s,” David remarked plainly.
“I don’t see a Tortellini’s anywhere. I see a Tomato’s Ice Cream Parlor and a Tortilla’s Elote Shop, among many others.”
“It’s right there.”

No one said anything for a few minutes. This was a very awkward moment for the dinosaurs, as well as the boys. Andrew knew Selfish Arnie and his comrades from a previous adventure in Galavanti Island, and, frankly, Dacston’s cousin is pretty….um….selfish. And, as a matter of fact, so were Bronco, the brachiosaurus, Spike, the stegosaurus, and Steve, the velociraptor. The boys were going to make another attempt at returning to Dacston’s house before Selfish Arnie and his comrades stopped them. Again.

​“Say, do you happen to know where Darveda went?” Bronco, the brachiosaurus, asked the boys.
Andrew pointed to the northwest.
“Thank you.”
“Wait. What do you need Darveda for?” David asked the menacing dinosaurs.
“We wanted to take the saxophones from the chicken community, since we lost all of Galavanti Island’s saxophones to my menacing cousin, Dacston,” Selfish Arnie boomed.
Moments later, Levi turned away from the dinosaurs and toward David and Andrew.
“We need to go back,” Levi told David and Andrew.