11 A Tough Row to Ho!

CHAPTER 11 A TOUGH ROW TO HO! Z-Z-Z After dinner, I work late into the night. At 9:30 p.m., Mom tells me to go to bed. I still don't have my laugh machine finished, and tomorrow is the science fair. When I fall asleep that night, I have a scream dream. It's the day of the fair. All the kids are in the gym with their projects.

Eric's monster is ten feet tall and sewn together. It looks like a cross between Coach Kong and Mrs. Beamster. It has a bolt in its neck and an outlet for its belly button. Eric tells it jokes to keep it in stitches. I don't see Derek, but I guess that's a good sign. Doris's project is covered with a blanket and labeled TOP SECRET!

Penny's telescope looks like the one at the planetarium. I bet her father helped her. Randy's climbing aboard his rocket, And Freddy pulls the lever on his time machine. There's a pop, bop, and boom! When the smoke clears, we're all standing in the future. COOL. BLAST OFF.

Freddy has a beard and is old enough to drive, but there are no more cars. In fact, there are no more streets, just sidewalks everywhere. Bummer! There was just too much pollution, so now everyone has to walk. There's a walk-through fast-food place, a walk-by bank, and walk-in movie theaters. Even NASCAR is NASWALK. Freddy is sad. I guess now it's

time for my laugh machine. I wind it up and it says, "Ho, ho, ho!" But no one else is laughing. They all just walk away. I wake up and roll out of bed. It's Saturday-time for the science fair. HO HO HO BOO! BOO! BOO! BOO! NOT FUNNY! HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.