“Your mom won’t like that.”
“ I won’t like that,” he replies.
As you climb the hill out of the theater, the machete at your side, John Luke asks, “You think this has anything to do with the stuff that was reported?”
“I think this machete had something to do with that animal,” you say. “And I think someone’s having a good ole time laughing about it. That’s what I think.”
You head toward the cabins to unload your gear and settle in for the night, and as you walk, you notice how thick the woods around you are. You scan them intently, looking for anything or anybody. But nobody’s out there —not within your line of sight, at least.
At the cabin, John Luke goes straight to the bathroom to wash his hands.
“We’ll look things over again tomorrow,” you call from your seat on a bottom bunk.
That’s the moment you hear the sound again.
Ch-ch-ch-ka-ka-ka.
John Luke doesn’t say anything, so you figure he can’t hear it over the sound of the running water.
You step outside and squint into the woods. They seem darker than before. But the noise has stopped.
As you return to the cabin, you decide it would be a good idea to keep the machete close by. You may need it tonight.
When John Luke finishes, you head to the bathroom to clean up before bed.
But before you squeeze toothpaste on your brush, you hear the noise again.
Ch-ch-ch-ka-ka-ka.
You return to the main room and peer into the woods.
The noise definitely came from close by.
Do you run into the woods to try to find the source of the noise? Go here .
Do you ignore the noise and keep getting ready for bed? Go here .
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
JOHN LUKE RUSHES OUT of the dining hall ten minutes later. He’s out of breath and wide-eyed and looks both amused and freaked out.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s trouble, Papaw Phil. I gotta get you back to the Duck Commander warehouse right away.”
“What do you mean?”
“We have to save Dad and Uncle Si.”
“Willie and Si?” you ask. “What have they done now?”
“It’s a long story, so I’ll tell you on the way. We need to go home right now.”
You follow John Luke, wondering what he heard on the phone. Once you’re in the Jeep, speeding away from the camp, you question him again.
“Want to explain to me what’s happening?”
“Yeah. We’re gonna find a time machine in the warehouse,” John Luke says. “We need to open the door as soon as we can so Dad and Uncle Si can get out before it takes them back into danger.”
“Are you joking with me?” you ask.
“No, sir.”
“So why do we have to do this again?”
John Luke is talking so fast it takes a lot to keep up with him. You can’t remember the last time you saw him this passionate and animated.
“Because right now they’re in the future. And they’re in big trouble.”
“The future ?”
“Yes, sir.”
“That makes no sense.”
“I know. But I know it’s true.”
“Why’s that?” you ask.
“Because —because I was on the phone with this guy who had a lot of information. His name is Raymond. And he seemed to know what he was talking about.”
You shake your head. “I think everyone in this state has gone Looney Tunes tonight.”
“Yeah, I think so too,” John Luke says.
He pulls up in front of the warehouse, and you bothhurry inside. You have no idea what’s going on here, but you can’t help being curious. And sure enough, right in front of you is something that looks like an outhouse.
No, that is an outhouse.
“John Luke —that’s no time machine. It’s something you use to go potty in,” you tell him, just in case he’s too modern to recognize it. But you have to admit, this outhouse gives you a weird feeling, like the universe is shaking around you. Maybe there’s something to what John Luke is saying.
“Not this one,” he says. “Trust me. It looks just like Raymond said. And we have to open it.” But he hesitates for a second.
You shake