Harris Burdick Inspired Story

The Map


"We have to go!"


"No."


"Don’t you wanna find out?"


"Well yeah but...”


"But nothing! We're going!"


Sam turned away from John and started rummaging through his room for "supplies".


 


"So... you guys think this is a good idea too?" John stuttered.


Of course we do! Think of the stories we'd get to tell!" Tim yelled over the now blaring stereo on the dresser.


"Fine... I guess we're going..."


 


After what seemed like hours of packing, Sam was finally done. He had two backpacks filled with spare clothes, matches, a pocket knife, an expired twinkie, and a partly squished bottle of water. The three boys got up from the bed, looking dizzy from all of their daydreaming, and joined Sam at the window. One by one, they all climbed out the old wooden frame and onto the cold mildewy lawn.


John looked worried. “What if the old man was lying?”


“Why would he lie to us?” Ben mumbled.


“You aren’t supposed to trust strangers, that’s why!”

 “John, you worry too much.”

Sam unfolded the small piece of notebook paper. “Go to the edge of James Park and follow the trail until you get to the old shed by Mr. Samson’s house.”

“That’ll take at least an hour!” Ben argued

“Then we’d better get started.” Tim said, obviously annoyed.

 

They talked excitedly for the first thirty minutes of the walk. But as it got later, they fell silent. Sam thought about the old man. Why did he choose such an odd group of boys to trust with such a big task? What if John was right and this was all a lie? Sam decided it was best to not think like that, because if there was an answer, he’d find it there.

                When they made it to the shed, it smelled like mold and was so rotted it could fall any second. Ben stepped inside first and noticed what seemed like just a random pile of wood.

 “Tim go in and help Ben” Sam said. Tim moved uneasily into the shed and helped remove the large pile of rot.

“There’s wheels too!” Ben yelled over the loud thump from the wood hitting the dirt.

“Let’s try to make something, he said we’re gonna need this”

They worked together struggling to piece together the mess, until they stepped back and admired their work. It was a cart, for a railroad. With a large sail hanging at the top.

Sam looked excitedly over to the tracks by the water. “Let’s go.”