Neopian Times Addict

Bob sat up out of his bed and yawned. He rubbed his eyes and looked over at his calendar. He jumped out of bed with a shocked look on his face.

      “The 350th Neopian Times comes out today!” he screamed to himself as he quickly ran out the door of his neohome. The sun tried to shine through the cloudy sky. It looked like rain was coming. Bob was a Disco Mynci and he was very excited about the 350th Neopian Times coming out. He enjoyed every Neopian Times but he had heard this one would be extra special and have more articles in it. Bob continued running from his house and towards the Post Office where he could buy the Neopian Times.

      “I slept in. I hope they still have some left,” he said to himself as he continued running. He tried to do jump over a fallen log, but tripped over and fell flat on his face in the dirt. He quickly brushed himself off and continued running.

      Why do I have to be so clumsy? he thought to himself as he started running slower. He was getting tired and couldn’t continue running as fast as he wanted. He slowed down to a quick walking pace and picked up a rock from the ground. He threw it up in the air and caught it a few times and then threw it at a nearby rock.

      “Hey!” a Brown Skeith shouted at him. Bob had mistaken the Skeith for a big rock.

      “I’m sorry,” Bob quickly replied to the Skeith. But the Skeith growled at him and jumped at him. Bob quickly started running again. He ran as fast as he could and didn’t look back until he couldn’t hear the Skeith behind him. He turned and saw the Skeith hadn’t moved. Bob had forgotten they were a lazy species.

      No more stupid stuff, Bob thought as he continued walking and tried to get his breath back. Suddenly the sky got darker and Bob looked up just in time to see a bolt of lightning strike. Then the rain started to come down. Bob picked up his pace and stood under a big tree. The rain came down harder and the lightning was more frequent.

      I didn’t need this. I need to hurry up and buy the Neopian Times, Bob thought as he shivered under the tree. The thunder got louder and louder. His stylish afro was getting wet and ruined. A bolt of lightning struck a branch above him and broke it. Bob quickly jumped out of the way and landed in the mud as the branch crashed to the ground.

      “Just great,” he sarcastically said to himself as he stood up and tried to get the mud off. He ignored the weather and tried to run through the rain to get to the Post Office before all the Neopian Times were sold. He sloshed through the mud but couldn’t see properly due to the rain. He collided with something hard.

      “Ouch!” Bob said as he rubbed his head. He had hit a building. The rain had eased up and Bob was able to see the building. It was his neohome. He had somehow lost his way and started going in the wrong direction. “I don’t believe this,” he said to himself. He started his journey all over again. He was annoyed and didn’t even bother running. He just trudged through the mud. The rain had eased up but it still sprinkled down on him.

      If there are no copies left... he thought. He didn’t want to think about that, though. “There will be copies,” he said to himself as he tried to keep his spirits up. He continued walking and came across the log that he tripped over earlier. He jumped over this time and smiled as he continued walking. He wasn’t paying attention and stepped in a pot hole and tripped. He stood up but didn’t bother brushing himself off. He just continued walking.

      “The 350th Neopian Times better be worth all this,” he mumbled under his breath. He spotted a bridge ahead on the path which would allow him to cross the river. Slowly he stepped onto the bridge. The bridge was an old rope bridge and had small wooden planks to walk on.

      Knowing my luck the bridge is going to collapse when I walk across, he thought as he slowly walked across the bridge. The bridge creaked with each step he took. He held his breath as he slowly took each small step. He could hear the river raging below him but he looked forward as he walked. He finally made it across and smiled.

      “My luck is finally changing!” he shouted. Then a coconut fell out a tree above him and hit him on the head. He rubbed his head. “Lucky my afro softened the blow,” he said as he continued walking.

      “Wow, this is the greatest Neopian Times ever!” a voice said. Bob could hear them and followed the path around some trees. He spotted a Pink Usul reading the 350th Neopian Times.

      “Can I please have it?” Bob asked her.

      “No. This is mine. I got one of the last copies from the Post Office and I’m glad I did because this is the greatest edition ever!” she exclaimed. Bob looked shocked.

      “Are there any left?”

      “I saw a few copies left but you better be quick.”

      “Thanks,” he replied as ran towards the Post Office. The dark clouds had gone and the sun was trying to shine through the big white clouds in the sky. Bob felt his luck had really changed. Up ahead he spotted a large mud puddle. Trees surrounded him and this was the quickest way to the Post Office.

      I should see how deep that puddle is, he thought as he picked up a long stick and placed it in the mud. The stick barely went in when he felt solid ground he could walk on. He chucked the stick away and slowly walked through. He stepped into the middle but there was no bottom. He fell into a hole and was covered from head to toe in mud. Then he heard some laughter. He looked up and saw a Red Scorchio and a Blue Lupe. They both laughed and ran off. Bob was angry but didn’t chase them.

      If I chased them, I’d be wasting time. The 350th Neopian Times means more to me, he reasoned with himself as he quickly got out and ran to the Post Office. He saw the Post Office up ahead and sped up. The mud dried on his skin and chunks of it fell off as he ran. He ran inside and got a strange look from the Post Office owner behind the counter. He quickly grabbed the final copy of the 350th Neopian Times and put it on the counter in front of the Red Grarrl.

      I finally have it, he thought.

      “100 Neopoints,” the Grarrl said to him. Bob just stood there. He was shocked, sad, angry, and frustrated all at once. He forgot to bring neopoints. He almost started crying as he walked out of the Post Office.

      I have been waiting weeks for this. Now I can’t even have it, he thought as he slowly walked back to his house with his head down. He didn’t pay attention to his journey home.

     ***

      Bob walked up to his doorstep and noticed a parcel. He picked it up and brought it inside. He placed it on his table and read the letter written on it. The letter made him smile and he yelled with excitement when he read it. But then he thought about what he had been through and he was annoyed with himself.

      I don’t believe it, he thought as he opened the parcel. He pulled out the contents at looked at it with a smile. He was covered in flakes of mud, his hair was messy and he had just had a really bad day. But he was still in a good mood.

      “If only I remembered I pre-ordered a copy of the 350th Neopian Times,” he said aloud to himself and he began to read it.

The End