Hello, everyone! Welcome back to my October Johnson series!
Where we last left off, a bomb that had been dropped from the air and exploded in Mrs. Gridbes’ lawn!
Let’s see how the aftermath of this will play out!
FULL CHAPTER WITH REACTION
I was half-blinded by the dust that was left by the explosion.
“By jingo! What happened here?” blurted October.
“Don’t know,” George answered. “But I know that bomb-drop wasn’t an accident!”
“So do I,” October responded. “Let’s go see what damage this has caused.”
The boys surveyed the yard, and luckily, it didn’t do much damage.
WHAT? Wow, my younger self really didn’t know how explosions worked.
Still, we wondered who would perform such a dirty trick like this, and why?
Scanning the yard, I noticed a peculiar shred of undamaged paper on the remains of where the bomb exploded only minutes earlier. Something was written.
“Jake, what’s that?” October queried.
Rummaging through ruined flowerbeds and fresh piles of dirt and rock, I cautiously approached closer to the paper.
You are being watched, so get out of Lark Cowl or the next danger will be disastrous!
“Leaping lizards!” October exclaimed. “We’ve only been in Mrs. Gridbes’ house for half an hour, and we’re being threatened again!”
“What do you mean, threatened again?” Mrs. Gridbes asked as she and the other teachers came out, still in shock from the attack on the house.
After showing her the threat, October explained that before coming to her home, he met a stranger who threatened them.
Motherclobber, no! It wasn’t a stranger. It was the intruder, right? Why are you not being consistent?
“Goodness!” Mrs. Gridbes said.
“Do you have any idea who could have done this?” he asked her.
“No, I don’t, but I don’t need any further danger to this house! I think you’d better go, for the safety of us all.” Mrs. Gridbes replied, sharply.
“Oh, man! We need to go to a hotel!” October exclaimed.
Wow, what a strange line of dialogue to say in response!
“I hope for the best for all of you boys,” Mrs. Gridbes said, as they rushed away to October’s car.
When we were one-mile away from Mrs. Gridbes’ house, October groaned in disgust and disappointment.
“Oh my hoaxes! We come to Lark Cowl to see if we have a mystery, and whamo! We’re on a false lead!”
Firstly, depends on your definition of false lead. Secondly, that’s the first thing you say after a teacher of your friend’s lawn is in flames?
“October, remember rule five,” George reminded October.
The other rules were:
Be patient.
“BE PATIENT” IS THE NUMBER ONE CLOBBING RULE?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS BREAKS THE ENTIRE PREVIOUS FOUR CHAPTERS?!
Be quick-witted.
Not too bad.
Be brave.
Be brave or be a clobhead? Because I feel like October and his friends have crossed that line multiple times.
Be yourself.
I REFUSE TO BELIEVE ALL OF THEM ARE FOLLOWING THIS RULE. IT’S STILL BAD CHARACTER WRITING EVEN IF THEY ARE.
Be hopeful.
“George, you’re right!” October exclaimed. “But I don’t understand how the stranger must’ve done this!”
“He could’ve used a blimp,” Chase remarked practically.
“I didn’t see any blimp,” October added.
Because you couldn’t have. The explosion was too big, and it’s not like you were standing outside.
Also, I just realized that this conversation is way too lighthearted and does not really process what happened properly AT ALL.
October turned into North Lark Cowl Street and then reached Ridge Road whereupon October went to Summer Lee Drive.
Entering the harbor, October drove to Hilton and parked.
“Well, we’re here,” October declared.
“Will the stranger suspect that we’re at a hotel?” George questioned.
Sigh. He’s not…
“I don’t believe so,” October replied.
Cough cough foreshadowing cough cough.
October walked toward the hotel’s entry with us. Once inside, we waited for October to register us and got us our room key.
“Oh, golly!” October marveled on the way to our room. “We get room nineteen! By jingo, that’s my lucky number!”
“You think nothing’s going to hurt us, then?” George queried warily.
“I reckon not,” October declared.
No, of course not, because you and your friends have the annoying superpower of plot armor that is stronger than clobbing vibranium!
“Nineteen symbolizes exploration,” I reminded them.
“How did you know?” October queried.
“Nineteen matches you, October,” I told him. “You like exploring. Plus, if we’re exploring clues and analyzing motives plays a dilly of a part!”‘
Not only is the last part grammatically incorrect, but I must say the “analyzing motives” part hasn’t really come in.
“I hope so,” October declared.
When the elevator stopped, it opened the door, and October felt a sense of warmth like a blazing palace of fire. October’s ambition was on fire, and his happiness danced to his shoes like a gorilla dressed as a danseuse.
Ok, this is an interesting description. I approve, younger me. Good job!
When we finally arrived at 019, October announced, “Well, here we are! Room nineteen!” as he slid in his room card. October opened the door.
It was a comfortable sight. Upon reaching the beds, George exclaimed, “Hypers! What a luxury!” He laid on the bed. “Boy, it’s comfortable!”
“Oh, there’s even a table!” David remarked. “Why, I feel like doing room service and ordering a meal.”
“David Wayne, you were not thinking of eating already, are you?” said George, scolding his always-wanting-to-eat cousin in good nature, but seriously.
“But it’s been eleven hours and forty minutes!” retorted David
I didn’t dare to even look at David.
George stared at me skeptically. “I don’t get it. You weren’t mad when my cousin said your favorite exclamation?”
“Why be mad?” I asked.
“Hypers is my favorite expression,” George argued.
“But really, does it matter who uses expressions and who doesn’t?” I asserted.
“I think not,” George agreed.
“Oh, look! There’s a TV,” Chase raved. “I wonder if it might have downloadable movies and…”
Ok, I love the enthuasism and the banter and the marvelling, but this is the second chapter I have to ask, “CAN WE GET BACK TO THE PLOT, PLEASE?”
“Boys, let’s not squander time. Remember,” October admonished, “we came here to look for mysteries. Thus, I thought we could examine the warning and we could find out who it is that wrote it.”
Thank you, October!
We went to the table and discussed the note.
“Boys,” October affirmed, “if we are to find out who wrote the note, we need to find the personality of the writer.”
“How do we do that, October?” George asked.
“First, let’s study the handwriting. “Gadzooks!” October took the note out of his pocket, and opened it, spreading it across the hotel room table. “The letters are a backward slant. That implies he is cruel.”
George snapped his fingers. “Oh, my ghostwriter! That matches the stranger perfectly!”
October held up his hand. “Just a minute, we need evidence to prove he wrote it.”
Aidan nodded. “October’s right, fellows. If he wrote the note, who cast off the bomb? And, how did the note get on the bomb?”
“Oh, he probably taped it,” George declared practically.
“Taped?” October shook his head, then brightened. “Boy, am I dumb! Why didn’t I think of that before?”
“Guys! There’s an intruder!” Chase called out.
Okay, how is it even possible?
WHAT WENT WRONG WITH LAST CHAPTER AND THIS NEXT CHAPTER?
Chapters 4 and 5 suffer from similiar issues:
- Pacing is still as bad as the previous three chapters!
- No situation is still given enough seriousness or even time to fully process. Which is bad because this is the second time in this novel that something has exploded!
- These 2 chapters introduced elements of filler or pointless elements, something that I hope doesn’t get repeated.
CONCLUSION
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this reaction!
Please feel free to comment below? Did you like it? Did you not?
How would you make Chapters 4 and 5 better?
Stay tuned for next Tuesday, where you will get the reaction to Chapter 6!
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