“Whee!” I yelled into the wind as we past clouds and flew over grasslands. Irwin was steering the flying machine that soared high above the ground.
I held onto one of the cords connected to the balloon at the top and reached out to touch a cloud. It felt cold and wet so I pulled my hand away.
“Annie,” Irwin called, beckoning me into the small hut after clicking the auto control button.
I followed him into the mini house and shut the door carefully behind me.
The inside was amazing. Colorful handmade stained glass was hanging from cords on the ceiling that glittering like the night stars. Miniature figurines stood on a table next to tiny buildings. I went over to the table and looked at them carefully.
There was a mini Irwin standing on a bridge carefully placed over a painted blue and white river. The real Irwin walked over next to me and placed a mini me figurine next to his. It was so pretty. The doll had the exact clothing I was wearing and had gorgeous brown painted hair in a ponytail.
“I thought my mini collection could use another figure.” Irwin smiled.
“Did you make all those?” I asked, gesturing to the small town on the table.
“Every one,” he said, “I also made the balloon and the cabin. It took five years to complete.”
I gasped and smiled.
“It's amazing.” I said.
“Want a sandwich?” Irwin asked.
“Sure,”
Irwin went to the kitchen to get the sandwiches and I sat down at the table to wait.
Rainbow colored shadows fell on the floor from the stained glass decorations.
A few minutes later, Irwin came into the dining room with a plate of peanut butter and banana sandwiches and pitcher of raspberry lemonade.
As I poured myself a glass of lemonade, I thought I heard a noise outside.
“Irwin,” I said, standing up and walking over to the door, “I'll be right back.”
I opened the door and stepped outside. No one was there. But I swear I heard someone!
I did a full round around the hut but found nobody. Just I was about to go back inside the mini house, someone grabbed me from behind and held me fast.
“Irwin!” I screamed, kicking my feet as hard as I could. My captor started backing up towards the edge of the basket.
Irwin burst out of the house, causing the door to slam against the wood. He gasped at the sight of me being kidnapped. He aimed a kick at the mystery guy just as we went over the edge.
I screamed as we plummeted through the air. Clouds flew past us as we fell like a rock. I squeezed my eyes shut hoping this was just a bad dream.
Suddenly Irwin renched the guy’s arms off me and he fell away like a dead bug. I screamed but Irwin caught me.
“Here,” he said, handing me a jet pack, “Put this on.”
I slipped the jet pack on and clicked the On button. Irwin dropped me and I hovered in the air.
“Whee! This is fun!” I squealed, twirling around in the air, making a giant O with the smoke from the jet pack.
“It's not over yet,” said Irwin, pointing to the CODE man who was hovering few yards in front of us. I gulped.
The kidnapper flew at us and Irwin zoomed forward to block him. I yelped as the attacker hit Irwin in the face. Irwin fell slightly but pick himself back up and delivered a hard punch back.
The guy stumbled in the air but recovered quickly.
He flew at Irwin and kicked him in the arm.
“Argh!” shouted Irwin, flipping over into a pair of fluffy white clouds.
“Irwin!” I screeched and turned to the CODE guy who grinned triumphantly.
You won't be grinning for long, fool! I thought, rushing forward and hitting the idiot on the head with the heel of my shoe. He flipped backward rubbing his head in pain. Irwin came back through the clouds and took this time to get back to the balloon.
“Annie!” he shouted, “Go to the balloon!”
He grabbed my hand and we flew quickly toward the hot air balloon house. We zoomed into the hut and Irwin took to the wheel at once.
Only a few seconds after, we heard a loud POP!
“Oh no!” shouted Irwin, running out onto the large basket and peering up at the balloon which was leaking, “He's popped the balloon! We're going down!”
“What about the jet packs?” I asked.
“They only work once!” cried Irwin, “And I had to use them to save you!”
The balloon was plummeting faster by the second. The wind was going super fast causing my ponytail whip around behind me.
“Hold your breath!” yelled Irwin, pointing to a large lake where our balloon was headed.
I plugged my nose and together we jumped into the lake.
The water was freezing. It burn my arms and legs, making them feel like icicles. My lungs hurt so bad, I thought I might have set them on fire.
I swam as fast as I could to the surface and popped my head up. The cool air made me feel even more cold. Paddling my arms as fast as I could, I swam to shore.
“We're alive, Irwin!” I cried happily, raising my freezing arms victoriously in the air. I turned to look at Irwin but he wasn't there.
“Irwin?” I called out to the empty lake.
No one answered.
“IRWIN!” I screamed. Irwin didn't answer.
I put my hands together over my head and jumped back into the lake. I swam deep into the lake then went back up for air.
“Irwin!” I screamed in panic.
“Annie! Help!” came a voice a few yards from me. I turned. There was Irwin.
“Annie!” he yelled, “I’m stuck!”
I swam over to him.
“I can't move!” Irwin said. He couldn't really get any air. A large wave crashed over us and Irwin coughed.
“It's-it's going to be okay,” I took a deep breath and went under the water. The current pushed me around but I grabbed the tree and held on tight. Irvin's leg was trapped between two branches of a thick oak tree.
I tried to pry the two branches trapping him away but they snapped back together. Above the water, I heard Irwin yell in pain.
Swimming hard, I paddled to the surface. The water was rising. Fast. If I didn't get Irwin free, he'd die.
I ducked back under water and pulled hard at the tree branches. Irwin’s leg moved a little but was still stuck.
Come on! I thought, Come apart!
Snap!
The branches broke apart and I paddled up to the surface. Irwin was coughing and sputtering. He was too weak from trying to get free to swim to land himself. I grabbed his arm and yanked him over to the shore.
Suddenly, Irwin stopped breathing. Pulling him onto his back I pushed on his chest.
“Come on, Irwin!” I said, “Breath!”
Finally, after one last pump, Irwin coughed up some water.
“Irwin!” I screamed and hugged him as hard as I could. Irwin I think was a bit surprised but he hugged me back. I was so happy Irwin was alive. He could have died! And that would have been very, very scary.
“I thought you were dead,” I said pulling away from him.
Irwin shook his head.
“I'm not,” he said, “‘Cause I'm still here!”
All of a sudden he looked around, looking very panicked.
“The balloon!” he cried, “Where's the balloon!”
We both got up and ran around, looking for the balloon hut. I looked under the tree Irwin had gotten stuck on and over by some shrubs. Then I saw it.
“Um….Irwin?”
The once great flying machine lay crushed in a pile of rocks next to the lake. The house was destroyed and up in flames. The balloon was torn and ripped like a hawk had clawed at it with its talons.
Irwin ran up next to me and I saw tears running down his face when he saw his amazing creation in pieces.
“Irwin, I-”
He turned away. I looked sadly at the flying machine that had once flown me through the sky. The thrill of flying through the air was gone and was replaced by sadness, grief, and anger. I watched sadly with tears in my eyes as my little figurine that Irwin had made special burned slowly to the ground.
I looked at Irwin who still had his back to me. Suddenly, I spotted something sitting next to him. Walking carefully and cautiously towards it, I picked it up. The smooth metal felt cool in my hands. I turned it over. It was a black ball with neon blue glowing lines all over.
“Irwin?” I tapped him on the shoulder and held up the strange device, “Do you know what this is?”
Irwin’s eyes lit up.
“Yes!” He yelled so loud the whole world probably heard, “This is great! That CODE guy must have left it here! Here Annie, take my hand.”
Before I knew what was happening, Irwin grabbed my hand, threw up the strange ball and yelled, “Tabitha’s!”
The ball opened into a large, spinning portal that looked like a black hole. It sucked us up then we were gone.