18-ONE SKULL

ONE SKULL The plan was to leave at six o'clock the next morning. But by four o'clock, my cousin was already up and about. "Ratoons, we are leaving!" Trap shouted through a MEGAPHONE made of banana leaves. Thea grabbed a coconut and hurled it at his head. "Do you realize what time it is?" she shrieked, chasing him around our SHELTER. "When I catch you, I'm going to use your fur to make earmuffs!" Trap just giggled. "If you don't hurry, I am going to leave without you!" he shouted through the megaphone. "I am ready to rock! READY to roll! READY to rumble!

READY to party! Ready to GO! GO! GO!" Thea was tearing at her whiskers in a rage. "You are the one who brought him along!" she yelled at me. I wanted to say, "Actually, it was your idea," but I stopped myself. The look in my sister's eyes was MURDEROUS. We set out in single file. We marched all day long. By evening, we came to what's the point peak. Thea pointed at the map. "We have reached the location of

the first skull. Listen to this secret message: "IF YOU FIND A BIG ROCK THE COLOR OF CHEESE, DON'T RUN AROUND, DON'T EVEN SNEEZE!" Somewhat puzzled, I looked around. "This must be the rock on the map," I said, pointing to a round, cheddar-colored boulder. "It looks good enough to eat!" I took a few steps forward. "But there is nothing to see here. Just some sand. Actually, a whole bunch of san—" I didn't get to finish my sentence. I was beginning to sink. "Look at me!" I giggled. "Hee—hee! Look, the sand has reached my ankles... no, my knees!"

THEA'S EYES OPENED WIDE. SHE WAS NOT LAUGHING. "Geronimo! I have bad news for you!" she called. "Hmm? What bad news?" I asked, watching the funny sand. "Geronimo," my sister squeaked, "I think that's quicksand!" I gulped. "Thundering cattails! Quicksand?" I shrieked. "Help!" The sand had already reached my bellybutton. "Stop flapping your arms!" shouted Thea, holding her paw out. But I kept flapping and flapping. "Heeeeelp!" I shouted as the sand reached my ears. Trap raced over carrying a long green vine from a nearby tree. "Grab hold of this, Cousin, if you ever want to squeak again!" he cried.