20. Away We Go!

CHAPTER 20 AWAY WE GO! George and Harold were instantly transported twenty years into the future. Quickly, they ran up to an old lady sitting with her twenty- three-year-old son. "Look, son," said the old lady. "A giant, glow-in-the-dark robotic squid is carrying a little boy in one of its tentacles!" "Sure it is, Mom," said her son. "Listen, you need to take your medication EVERY DAY or it's not going to—"

"Excuse me," said George. The twenty-three-year-old looked up from his phone and screamed, "AAAAAH! IT'S A GIANT, GLOW-IN-THE-DARK ROBOTIC SQUID CARRYING A LITTLE BOY IN ONE OF ITS TENTACLES!" "Uh, yeah," said George. "Look, we need to borrow your cell phone. We're trying to locate George Beard." "You mean the author?" said the guy.

"D-Did you say AUTHOR?!!?" cried George excitedly. "Yeah," said the guy. "Everybody knows George Beard. He writes those Dog Man graphic novels." "NO WAY!!!" screamed George. He was so overcome with happiness, he couldn't contain himself. The glow-in-the-dark, time-traveling Robo-Squid suit jumped up and down, spun around, and danced a happy jig. "I WRITE GRAPHIC NOVELS IN THE FUTURE!!!" screamed George. "OH YEAH!!! I WRITE GRAPHIC NOVELS IN THE FUTURE!!!"

"Settle down," cried Harold, who was starting to feel ill from all the dancing and jerking around. "You're acting too crazy, man. Show a little self-control, OK?!!?" "Sorry," said George, setting Harold down. "Do you know where Mr. Beard lives?" George asked the guy. "Yeah, he lives up there on Echo Hills next to that graphic novel artist," said the guy. "I think his name is... um... Harold Hutchings or something."

"I'M HAROLD HUTCHINGS OR SOMETHING!" screamed Harold, as he jumped up and down, flipped somersaults, and ran around in circles like a crazy person. "I ILLUSTRATE GRAPHIC NOVELS IN THE FUTURE! OH BABY!!! I ILLUSTRATE GRAPHIC NOVELS IN THE FUTURE!" "C'mon, Mr. Self-Control," said George. "Let's go meet our future selves!"