15 pictures book one the ship

around a month ago I created a short story and I worked really hard on it and now I’d like to share it with the world so here it is!

1942 England

“Bang,” the door swung open and a man in a dark black coat marched into a children’s book store. The man walked up to the front desk where a short, old woman was sitting. The old woman looked up at him and said, “State your business and name”.

“My name is Harris Burdick. And I have an appointment with Peter Goodboi” he said.

The old woman pointed to the left and said, “Down the hall to the right”.

“Thank you,” Harris said. Harris walked into Peter’s office and lay down fifteen pictures that he drew.

“I love it,” Peter said. “Come down tomorrow and we can talk books”. But Harris never came.

Sixty-Seven Years Later

2009 New York

“I have had it with you Johnny,” Sara said! “You’re loud, you’re rude, and so messy! We’re done! Goodbye Johnny Burdick,” and she marched out of the room!

Johnny paced the apartment and thought to himself, he had three options. “A- Go for a run. B- Get a therapist. C- Bang it out like a maniac.” After he considered his options he picked up a bat that happened to be resting against the wall and started swinging it wildly around his apartment. He was starting to regret his decision to pick up the bat. There was just one more room to go. He got to the bathroom and swung at the mirror. It shattered into a million pieces. Mysteriously, there was a crumpled piece of paper behind the glass.

Rocket, Johnny’s cute, furry, hyper, puppy, came running into the bathroom from where he was hiding under the bed. Jonny shouted, “nooooo Rocket,” and scooted his puppy out of the messy bathroom. Then Jonny grabbed the crumbled paper from the broken mirror, walked to the living room, and sat down on the couch. Rocket jumped up on Jonny’s lap and turned his small body round and round until he found the coziest spot on his friend’s lap.

Johnny carefully uncrumpled the strange brownish piece of paper. The paper said, “Find Goodboi,” signed, Harris Burdick. Johnny sat there in amazement. He had never really known his family, but now there was a strange paper with his last name written on it. Johnny pulled out his phone and searched up the name Harris Burdick. What he found he could barely believe. The article on his phone said, “Harris Burdick, missing at 42 years old. Last seen at Peter Goodboi’s bookstore in London, England.”

Though Johnny was interested, he also was extremely exhausted so Johnny went to bed. In his dream he saw some weird things, but the weirdest thing was a white, little ball of energy in a black void. The ball said over and over, “Go to England to find the first clue, then once you’re there you’re half way through”. Suddenly, Johnny fell out of bed and woke up. It was 5:36 AM. Out of nowhere he knew he had to go to England.

6:32 AM the Docks

“One ticket to England please”, Johnny said to a woman in a blue booth with a black coat.

“Here’s your ticket and have a nice day”, the woman said.

Johnny calmly ran onto the boat and Rocket followed. Johnny and Rocket went onto the main deck. Johnny went to the rail to look out over the sea. Out of nowhere someone shouted behind him. “Can I ask you a few questions?”

Johnny turned around and saw a woman with blond hair, about Johnny’s height, holding a checklist and a tape recorder. “What did I do?” Johnny said.

“Nothing. I just want to ask you some questions about a case I’m working on.”

“Why can’t you ask someone else?” Johnny said.

“I’ve already asked everyone on this boat,” she said.

“Let me guess, you’re a reporter,” Johnny said.

“Yes I am and my name is Katie Beartris. I work at CNN”.

“Johnny,” he said.

“Nice to meet you Johnny.” Katie said,

“Ask me anything,” replied Johnny.

“Have you encountered anything weird in the last forty-eight hours?”

“Actually yes I have!”, Johnny exclaimed.

“Where did this happen?” Katie replied.

“For some reason it was in my dream. Come to think of it, that’s the reason I am on this boat.”

“Next question. What happened in your dream that was so weird?”

“Well, there was a little, white ball of energy in a black void, that kept saying over and over, go to England to find the first clue, then once you’re there you’re halfway through.”, Johnny explained.

Katie looked puzzled and said, “what do you think caused your mind to dream that?”

“Actually, earlier that day, I found a little piece of paper behind my mirror that said, “Find Goodboi.”

“Ok. Lastly, do you know anyone with the last name Burdick?” she asked.

Suddenly, Johnny gasped. Rocket started jumping on his hind and barking at his owner. Then Johnny said, “My last name is Burdick.”

A few days later, after many conversations, Johnny and Katie decided to team up to find out what happened to Harris Burdick. Of course their furry companion Rocket would be involved in every detail as well.

 

London England 11:30 AM

As Rocket swirled around and around on the sidewalk, Johnny and Katie hailed a black cab. One pulled over and the man inside said, “Where are you off too?”

“We’re off to Peter Goodboi’s Bookstore on Brick Lane,” Johnny said.

“Peter Goodboi’s Bookstore has been closed down for thirty years!”, said the man in the cab.

“We’ll pay you double if you get us there,” Katie responded.

“Deal,” and the cab driver started driving.

Once they got there they said thanks, paid him double, and snuck through the yellow tape surrounding the red brick building. After they were inside Johnny, Katie and Rocket searched for clues about Harris. They looked through dusty bookshelves and old wooden desks. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Rocket started jumping near an old desk. Johnny went over and said, “What is it boy?”. Then Johnny saw a tiny, dusty, green button behind an old desk. Johnny pressed the button and a secret compartment in the wall, behind the desk, swung open. “Skree…”, went the secret door. Surprisingly there was another crumpled piece of paper inside the wall.  Written on it, it said “Go 25 miles east to find the secret piece.”

Although Johnny and Katie were surprised, they didn’t have time. They went to the bike shop down the street and bought a motorcycle with a mini sidecar for Rocket, and off they went to the east. Little did they know, behind the bookstore in a dark alley, there was a person with a heart of coal and a black robe. The person was meeting up with three of the most deadly assassins in London.

“I have a job for you,” the guy in the black robe said.

“What do you have to offer?” the assassins responded in low voices.

“It’s enough reward that I let you live,” the man in the black robe threatened.

“What do you need us to do?” the assassins asked.

“Bring the two people in the motorcycle that just left, to me!”

“We’re almost there!”, Johnny shouted. “It’s just right up ahead.” The three were on the speeding motorcycle. Soon they arrived at the coordinates, and there, standing in the middle of a grassy field, was a massive opening to a cave, with vines dangling down from it. Rocket, Johnny and Katie, walked into the dark cave, prepared for anything. Little did they know that the assassins were not far behind.

As it got darker and darker, they decided to turn on their flashlights. Once they turned them on, they saw what they could not take back. There were dozens of skeletons hanging on the cave walls from dangerous cliff edges. Suddenly something snapped. Everyone looked around, and then Katie saw she had stepped on some string on the floor of the cave. They realized it was a trap.

Johnny said, “Get ready to run!”. As soon as Katie picked her feet up, rocks started falling from the ceiling and they all started to run as fast as they could. They barely made it before they turned around and saw that rocks covered the cave entrance. They knew there was no turning back now. As they moved on into the cave, suddenly they saw a huge chasm, and the only way to get to the other was to jump from one dangerous platform to the next. If they fell, they knew they would drown in gushing waters far below. Johnny held Rocket, who was terrified, and Katie went on ahead. Eventually, they all made it safely to the other side of the chasm. Waiting for them on the other side, was a huge waterslide, made out of cave rock. They all took a deep breath and jumped onto the slide in the dark. When they made it to the end, they fell into a huge pool of water. Once they resurfaced, they realized that the room was glowing with the light of glow worms.

They saw the most amazing thing! A shipwreck in the middle of the cave, with a waterfall surrounding it.  They swam through the warm water to the massive shipwreck. Once they got on, they searched around the ship. Katie realized that there was light under the ship floorboards. She got Johnny and Rocket to come over, and they smashed through the floorboards with an old piece of wood from the wreck. Under the boards, they found a mysterious wooden chest. Inside the chest was a dusty, old journal. On the top of the journal it said, “Missing in Venice. Even with her mighty engines in reverse the ocean liner was pulled farther and farther into the canal.” The only other thing in the chest was another crumpled piece of paper. On it, was written, “Beware the seven chairs.”

Suddenly, out of nowhere in the background, someone said in a low voice, “Put your hands on your head and turn around.” Rocket quickly hid behind Johnny’s legs. When Johnny turned around he saw the three evil assassins. The one on the left had a fedora and a black coat. The one on the right was short and had a knife in every pocket. The one in the middle had a scar across his eye, was holding a gun and had a black bandana covering his mouth and nose.

“Who are you guys?”, Johnny said, but before they could answer, the cave started to shake and collapse. Katie realized that taking the two items from the chest must have triggered a trap to make the cave collapse.

Quickly, Johnny ran up to the guy in the middle, took his gun. Suddenly, a gap in the cave wall opened behind the ship. Johnny ran towards it. Katie and Rocket followed behind. The three assassins behind them started running as well. Katie and Rocket ran out of a small gap in the cave wall that led to the field, and Johnny was about to run out as well, but all of a sudden the assassin with the scar grabbed his leg and Johnny fell over. “If I’m going to die, I’m going to take you down with me.”, the assassin yelled. Before he could finish his sentence, Johnny kicked him in the face and ran out of the cave just in time and the three were crushed under the crumbling boulders.

Katie and Johnny agreed that they had to figure out what would happen next and they were ready for their next adventure.

The adventures of Johnny, Katie, and Rocket as they search for What happened to Harris Burdick will be continued in Book 2, Fifteen Pictures; The Curse of the Seven Chairs

Thank you for reading

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