16

Calvin was just a regular 15-year-old boy who liked playing video games, reading magazines and everything that’s not related to going outside. One day, his father Herwin got mad at him because he was spending too much of his time on the computer and almost no time outside with his friends. “Go outside for once, you good-for-nothing!” Herwin roared. “Go bowling or something you old hag!” Calvin thought, but he still obeyed like the good boy he was. He put on his good-as-new shoes, put on a jacket and went outside to enjoy the light spring breeze. The spring season was truly magical: the birds were singing in harmony and the trees sounded like they were humming along with them. He realized just how nice it was to be outside for once.

As he was walking down the path leading from his home to an unknown destination, he saw a girl sitting on a tree. He was shocked! He couldn’t believe his eyes! How can someone be savage enough to execute such a dangerous act with civilians around them!? “Hey lad, wanna hang?” she yelled at him. “Sure, but get down that tree, you monkey!” Calvin answered. He found out her name was Mackenzie and that she really liked pillow cases. Why? He didn’t dare to ask.

“Hey Calf, wanna meet my friend?” Mackenzie asked Calvin as they were walking. “Wait, wait, wait. I just met YOU and now you want me to meet even MORE PEOPLE? In a SINGLE DAY? Are you crazy? Who the heck is Calf anyways? I’m Calvin! You head me, you rogue woman!? C-a-l-v-i-n!” Calvin was… well… a bit… overwhelmed, to say the least. She ignored his complaints and introduced him to Paul the Bear (literally a living bear, yes). “H-Hold up… a bear that can TALK? Wh-Wh-What is going on here!?” Calvin was overwhelmed… again. “You see, Paul is… special. He can talk because of his extremely high IQ and because his vocal organs are somehow pretty similar to human vocal organs in structure.” Mackenzie explained. “You got that, Calf?” she added, followed by a provocative grin. “Yes, got that, MACDONALD’S.” He tried, at least.

“Guys, can we just go play somewhere already?” Paul was a bit irritated. “Sorry, yes.” Both Calvin and Mackenzie answered.

“Ooh, this forest looks pretty nice, doesn’t it, Calf?”

“Indeed, Mc Gorilla, indeed.”

And so, they went to play in the forest.

“What is going on here?” All three of them were confused when they found something terrible. The forest was getting cut down by automated machines! “Th-this can’t be happening! We must end this! The animals are in grave danger!” Calvin suggested. “Good idea, but how exactly can we stop this? We’re just two kids and a bioengineered bear!” Mackenzie was actually worried.

“Hold up, bioengineered?” Calvin was confused.

“Long story, we can’t be wasting time here!” Paul said.

“Look, guys! I found something!” Mackenzie said as she showed them a map she found next to a nearby tree that was still standing.

“Hmm… it seems like the location shown here is not actually that far from here. We should check it out and hope for some clues on how to stop this absolute madness!” Calvin suggested.

“Let’s do that, Calf!” Mackenzie said.

After about half an hour of walking, they noticed a depressed-looking squirrel packing its things up, ready to leave its home for good. They approached it and found out it was a she. They also found out her name was Vixxy (she got her name from her parents who somehow managed to continuously mistake her for a vixen instead of a squirrel.

She told them all about the rumors of an evil scientist who wants to build a mass-producing robot factory combined with a laboratory in place of the forest. She told them how he’s rumored to live on the nearest mountain and how he’s apparently immortal thanks to one of his experiments. They told her their plans and she joined them on their adventure.

As they were walking towards the location marked on the map, they found a chest.

“What’s this?” Paul asked.

“Seems like a treasure chest. Let’s open it!” Mackenzie was excited.

“W-Wait guys! We don’t know if it’s saf--!” Before he finished, the chest was already open.

Turns out it was just a regular chest without any traps or anything, and inside it was a bunch of costumes.

“We should put these on to hide our identity!” Mackenzie said.

“Good idea!” The others agreed.

They put on the costumes, and headed towards the scientist’s hideout.

“Here we are, I guess.” Calvin said.

“Whoa, this place is weird!!!” Mackenzie was freaked out.

They looked around and eventually found the evil scientist’s headquarters.

“Dr. Sauce’s Office. THE UNPRIVILEDGED MAY NOT ENTER” – a sign read.

They saw the scientist inside, performing some kind of inhumane experiment on a poor man. After the disturbing show was finally over, he pulled a lever, and the test subject fell through the floor, which was followed by screams of despair.

The group decided that was the only way to get rid of the scientist. While he was in the testing capsule, probably looking for the cause of an issue, they rushed in and pulled the lever.

The scientist fell through the floor and nothing could be heard afterwards.

…

Six months later, they found out he didn’t die but was arrested for genocide.

Many years later, Paul the Bear was taken to a zoo and Vixxy was killed by the neighbor’s dog. Calvin and Mackenzie got married and, decades later, they got old.

The childhood adventures they still remember about saving the forest and arresting the evil scientist were now nothing but memories they can tell their children. Calvin still likes to look at old photographs of him and his friends from back in the day, and remind himself of the grand old times.