Treehouse Terror

The day started out like any other. Arthur and Buster agreed to meet up at the treehouse to play a new card game. Francine was invited along, as well as Muffy, but the two were playing in a girls' softball match and couldn't come. The boys were fine with this, and the warm Saturday morning welcomed them with a bright, sunny sky.

The first sign of trouble came when Arthur and Buster arrived at the treehouse. Two bikes lay against the trunk, one a well-worn red bike and the other a shiny, new pink bike with glittery tassels attached to the handlebars. Those bikes belonged to Francine and Muffy, and both were inside the treehouse when the boys climbed up.

"I thought you two couldn't make it," Arthur said, setting his bike helmet down with the others as Buster pulled out his cards. He sat on the floor and attempted to shuffle them.

"Didn't you hear it was supposed to storm today?" Muffy asked matter-of-factly. Francine nodded, "Yeah, we only came to warn you so you wouldn't be stuck here in the dangerous storm."

"Storm?" Arthur asked, remembering the beautiful morning he'd just witnessed. "That must be tomorrow you're thinking about. Today is going to be beautiful!" he cried.

"Hey!" Buster shrieked.

The beautiful morning had transformed into a growling storm. Harsh winds ripped Buster's cards out of the treehouse and onto the streets of Elwood City. Leaves and twigs blew inside, and the horrified children huddled together at the back of the tiny treehouse as it creaked and swayed in the sudden, harsh winds. Nothing could be said: Even if they wanted to speak, the storm made it impossible to hear anything except the roaring wind.

Rain started just as the first flash of lightning and roar of thunder shook the defenseless treehouse. Lightning made them blink and Francine covered her ears as thunder cracked through the air. Arthur and Buster were shaking, but Muffy's eyes were fixed on the door of the treehouse. She stared despite the rain and debris being blown into her eyes.

She was soon rewarded for her patience. Her face went from expressionless to elated as a yellow-hooded figure appeared in the doorway. They pulled the children from the treehouse one-by-one and into a vehicle waiting below.

Bailey had saved the day.

In the end, the treehouse needed a good cleaning, but the children were safe. Bitzi helped Buster pay for a replacement deck of cards, and a few weekends later, they met up to play again…after checking the weather first.

~End

Theme 011: Rainy Day Blues

Theme 014: Treehouse Fun

I completed this one-shot for a theme challenge I'm doing with TheUltimateCombo. I've completed the themes but anyone is welcome to complete them. PM me if you're interested.