Broken Hands and Weathered Souls: a Holes Fanfiction

The little Girl Scouts and the big bad Lizard

Before I knew it, two weeks had passed. The food was still inedible, the digging still sucked, and D-Tent was still looking out for me. After dinner -which had not gotten better the third week around- I walked with the guys back to the tent, keeping wary of "stragglers" that might be following behind. I was already so sick of having to watch my back for the next female attention- deprived juvenile delinquent deciding to make me his next victim. Of course, the guys were ever so helpful. You never know gratitude until you watch Barfbag tackle someone over the couch because they hit you on the butt while you were taking your shot in pool (especially because that asshole messed up my shot and I scratched again.)

The only solace I got from any of it were the nights after digging I got to spend with the guys in our tent, my iPod playing, Magnet cheating at Blackjack, and the guys munching on the chocolate I passed out from time to time (which reminds me, I need my brother to send me more. ) That only contributed more to Squid's little habit of calling me "sweetheart." But at this point, I kind of liked it. After all, he wasn't so bad, himself.

"I fold." Armpit groaned. "Magnet, you know I see those cards sticking out of your back pocket."

"I brought my own deck, I just lost the box," he grinned.

"Unless your deck consists of two kings and an ace , I don't think it'll be much use to you," X-Ray snickered. He grabbed my iPod, and changed the song.

"Doesn't matter. I'm out, anyway." He handed his cards to Armpit.

Zigzag and I were the only ones left. We each revealed our hands. He had a 19, and I won with a 20, and collected my winnings. Four shower tokens, thirteen M&M's, a Hershey bar, and six dollars. I unwrapped the Chocolate bar, and in no time, it starting melting onto my fingers. The Texas heat was surely to blame, especially in July, though it was 10:00 at night.

The next day was July fourth, and it was decreed by the mighty and powerful warden that we wouldn't have to dig tomorrow, so we were all to happy to finally to stay up past 8:00. Truth be told, if you went to sleep past then, you would be half asleep until noon the next day while digging, and that's no fun for anyone. (Duke had learned this all too well after falling asleep in direct overhead sunlight for an hour, having a bright red scabbing sunburn to show for it.)

I picked up my winnings, and set them on my cot. I rummaged through my suitcase, looking for my bag of sweets I could drop my M&M's into. I found it, and yanked it out, accidentally sending a black bra flying through the air to land on the edge of my cot.

"Oh my god!" X-Ray yelled. I looked up to see the guys' stares pointed directly at me. "Nellie!" Zigzag pointed to the edge of my cot.

"What, you've never seen a bra before?"

"Not that." He squeaked. "Get up, and walk towards me slowly. Don't make a sound."

I hadn't noticed before, but all of their faces were ghostly white. Even Zero was beckoning for me to walk towards them.

I stood up. "Guys, what's- holy hell!" A tiny lizard had perched itself on my bag of chocolate at the edge of my bunk, and was staring right at me. I wasn't scared, just surprised. I thought the only living things that could survive out here were rattlesnakes and scorpions.

I was about to tell the guys not to be scared of this tiny little lizard, when a hand over my mouth stifled any sound I could make. "Sssshhh." It was Squid. " We'll walk out of the back of the tent and get Mom." Mom? What for? He took his hand off my mouth. The lizard's beady little eyes turned from me to Squid. His chest was against my back, and I could feel his shaky breathing. What the hell are we supposed to do? this little guy looks totally harmless.

While we kept the lizard's attention, everyone in the other side of the room got up and hurried out, leaving Squid and I to deal with the little reptile who was leaning back on its hind legs, looking ready to spring. Frills around its neck puffed up and it hissed, revealing a white tongue and sharp black teeth.

Squid's eyes widened. He grabbed my hand, and we sprinted for the door, refusing to look back. I was about to stop outside C-tent when Squid grabbed my hand and yanked on my arm, urging me to run faster and farther away from our tent. He started to slow down when we were approaching the mess hall on the other side of camp. We finally came to a stop to where the rest of D-Tent was leaning against the wall attempting to catch their breath, looking like they barely escaped death.

"What the hell, you guys?" I panted. "It was just a lizard."

"What? Haven't you seen a yellow spotted lizard before?" Armpit asked.

"A yellow spotted lizard? Really? Like the ones from the Kissin' Kate Barlow legend?" I crossed my arms. "I thought those went extinct a long time ago."

"Not in Green Lake, Darlin'." Said Squid.

"They're snappy, attack anything that moves, and the venom can't be treated," Magnet explained. "You get bit, you're dead."

"Maybe It would've been a good idea to get rid of the deadly lizard problem before building an isolated camp right on top of their nesting place." I rolled my eyes.

X-Ray sauntered off back to the direction of the tents. "I'll grab Mom." Zigzag went with him.

Before they could get past A- tent, we heard two gunshots. "Looks like Mr. Sir heard us running," said Magnet. On that note, we all went back.

Mr. Sir was holding the dead lizard up in the air by its tail away from him at arms length when we walked in. "Heard you little Girl Scouts running for the hills, and thought I'd take care of the big bad lizard for you."

He waved the carcass in front of Barfbag's eyes. The red eyes and mouth were still open, the white tongue lolling out of its mouth barely dripping with red from the bullet hole on its neck. Barfbag turned a sickly shade of green for a second, then attempted to compose himself before speeding out of the tent and puking.

"Don't worry, its venom's useless when its heart stops pumping!" Mr. Sir called to him. "Sweet dreams, Girl Scouts," he chuckled on his way out of the tent.

"You good, Barfbag?" Magnet called to our puking friend.

"It's all good," Barfbag weakly replied from outside the tent. "Someone grab me my canteen, I'm gonna grab some water." Squid tossed it to him, and we heard footsteps growing fainter and fainter as he walked to the spigot.

Zero was already fast asleep on his cot. How he could fall asleep then was a complete and total mystery to me. When the guys climbed into their bunks, I stared at mine skeptically.

"The thing's dead, darlin'. You can sleep now." Said Squid from his cot across from mine.

"You sure?"

"Yes! We're all sure! Now go to sleep." X-Ray groaned.

Squid ignored him. "You're fine. That thing's not coming back around here anytime soon."

On that note, I climbed into bed. "Not to mention it ate all my chocolate," I sighed. "Night, you guys."

"Night, Sugar," said X-Ray.

"Night, Sugar," everyone repeated.