TKAM Scout's Journal #2

As the summer is slowly fadin’ away ‘n’ autumn is gradually rollin’ into its place, slowly ‘n’ surely, there comes our last day with Dill. Throughout this summer Jem ‘n’ Dill have been constantly plotin’ things invlovin’ Boo Radley, and I pretty much disliked each and every single one of them. And just as the school is about to start, Jem ‘n’ Dill decided to check out the face of Boo from the back shutters of the Radley lot-again I was forced to take part of it. I liked the timin’ of it though, how it was pretty much the last few days of our vacation ‘n’ if we die in our journey we wouldn’t have skipped the summer but school.

We succeeded easily in makin’ our ways thorugh the various Radley backyard obstacles with minimal noise, but as Jem was carryin’ out his plan of peakin’ through the shutters, we saw I ark shadow comin’ his way. As I was about to warn him, “Bam”, a loud crackin’ sound ripped through the silent neighborhood – we heard the shotgun firin’ in the yard. E ‘n’ Dill dashed like crazy to the school yard. As we went through the fence Jem’s fence was stuck ‘n’ tangled on the wires. We helped him get loose but we never had any chance to go back for his pants. The neighbors ‘n’ Atticus all clustered around the Radley place with Mr. Nathan Radley in the middle carrin’ a broken shotgun once we got back. The only logical reaction for us is to pretend to not know anything, but with Jem in his underwear, it was a pretty hard thing to pretend. Just as we were strugglin’ to come up with somethin’, Dill made his story of how Jem “lost” his pants to him in a “strip poker” game. What is “strip poker” anyways? But that’s not important anymore.

Tonight I was very glad that we made it back home with our limbs still attached to ourselves ‘n’ heads still screwed on our necks. I thought better of never goin’ close to the Radley lot ever again. But just as we reached our beds, Jem wanted to out there again-this time for his pants. Despite my desperate request of company, he went out alone. I was cold and scared, I thought of all possible ways to die for Jem during his departure. Just as I was about to cry, I saw the shadow of Jem  carrin’ seething in his hand. He was safe; he was safe not only from shotguns but also form Atticus, ‘cause I think Atticus was still asleep upon Jem’s arrival.

I wish I never have to experience anything like that ever again.