Operation: Runaway

7:29 p.m. September 18, 2003 Alex's House

Everything isn't going well in the family household. Alex's parents can't get a grip on their lives, and plus, Alex's family is very poor, and Alex just can't stand it anymore. He wants just wants a better life.

Alex buried his head into his pillow in frustration. "Why couldn't I have been born someplace else! Of all the places it had to be, it had to be here!" Alex thought out loud. "I need a new life. My own parents can't even raise me right! If only had somewhere to go so I can be alone." Suddenly, Alex's face lit up. "I know! I'll run away!" Alex was very pleased with his plan. He decided to leave and sneak out of the house at 9:00, and ride the last train. Then, his mom called out to him.

"Alex! Dinner time!"

"Just a minute.Mom." Alex shouted back. Alex wasn't really in the mood for dinner right now. But, he decided to go anyway. Alex went into his bathroom, and washed up. After that, he dried his hands on his towel, and went downstairs. Alex pulled out a chair and sat down. Alex's dad was already sitting at the table, while mom was finishing up dinner. Then, she brought it to the table, and placed it down.

"Oh boy, chicken scraps." Alex mumbled while grabbing a chunk of the chicken off the plate and eating it. Dinner was silent and swift as usual.

"Oh Alex honey! Do you want some more chicken scraps?" Alex's mom asked him.

"No thanks.I'm just going to go up to my room now." Alex replied without looking back. He then marched up the stairs, went to the bathroom to wash up, dried his hands, and went into his room while closing the door.

8:05 p.m. September 18, 2003 Alex's Room

Alex jumped onto his bed sighing. He glanced up at his cube clock, which read 8:05 p.m.

"A little while more, and then my plan goes into action!" Alex shouted triumphantly while sitting up on his bed. He looked around his bedroom. It wasn't much, considering that they were poor. All he had in his room was a creaky, wooden, dusty bed against the north wall, a cube clock next to his bed, an apple TV by the west wall, an exotic chair in the middle of his bedroom, and a wooden box with a container on it that held his savings of 1,000 bells. He had torn wallpaper and flooring, since the walls and floor hasn't been tended to. Alex decided to watch some TV for a while. He turned the Apple TV on, but remembered that all that the TV ever showed was rolling apples.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!!! What am I going to do for the next 55 minutes?!?!" Alex yelled frantically, running around the room. "Oh well, I might as well catch up on my sleeping. I'd better set my clock alarm to 9:00 p.m. so I don't oversleep!" Alex exclaimed while moving to his clock. He then picked the clock off the wall, and set the alarm exactly to 9:00. Alex jumped into his bed, almost instantly falling asleep. 9:00 came too soon.

9:00 p.m. September 18, 2003 Alex's Room

"IT WASN'T MY FAULT!!!!" Alex screamed, startled by the alarm. "Oh.whoops." Alex mumbled to himself while glancing up at the clock. It showed exactly 9:00. "Ok then, time to go!" Alex then grabbed his clock off the wall, stuffing it into a burlap bag. He also grabbed his exotic chair, and his container full with 1,000 bells. Alex then opened his window, and climbed out. He then closed the window, and started his climbing down the side of the house. Only one problem. Getting past the living room window without being seen. "Come on Alex, you can do this!" Alex thought while climbing down carefully so he wouldn't make a sound. Alex saw the living room window, and climbed down right next to it. Alex peeked through the window. His dad was asleep on the couch, but his mom was still in the kitchen. He continued to climb down. He got down safe and sound, and quietly snuck towards the train station. The train had pulled in, just as planned. Alex snuck closer to the train station.

"All aboard! All aboard! Train to Valua!" the porter shouted while Alex came out of the shadows. "Oh! Why hello there. Are you going to Valua?" the Porter asked Alex. "Yes." Alex quickly replied while boarding the train.

"Finally! I'm home free!" Alex thought gleefully while taking a seat on the train. Suddenly, a cat came walking by his seat. The cat noticed Alex, then sat down right next to him.

"Why hello there! Mind if I sit here?" the cat asked Alex.

"No, not at all, not at all." Alex replied while the cat just stared at him.

"My name is Rover. What's yours?" Rover asked Alex.

"Wh-my name? My name is Alex." Alex murmured while Rover smiled.

"Alex? What a cool name! But anyway, where are you headed?" Rover asked Alex questioningly.

"Valua, I guess." Alex replied.

"Valua? It's my favorite place! It's nice there too." Rover said happily. "Where are you going to live?" The question hit Alex like an anvil.

"Shoot! Of all the things I don't know, not knowing where I'm going to live totally bugs me!" Alex thought angrily when he saw Rover staring back at him, puzzled.

"Uh...uh..uh...I don't know."Alex replied weakly.

"WHAT!?" Rover exclaimed. "You don't know where you're going to live? Well..let's see now..ah yes! I have a friend who owns a shop in Valua that can get you a house! I'll be right back." Rover said, jumping off the train seat and walking towards the back car of the train. Rover then opened the door, went inside, then closed the door.

"Hey Nook, we got another one..Oh yes, right away...no,no,no...he's just fine..he's not a girl! It's a he....Okay then..wait hold on." Rover opens door. "What was your name again?" Rover asked.

"Alex." Alex said. "Oh yeah." Rover said as he closed the door. "His name is Alex..for the last time, he's not a girl! Sheesh..ok...yep..bye!" Rover hung up the phone, and opened the door, and closed the door, and sat down next to Alex again.

"Now you have a house! But anyways, you do have money..right?" Rover asked. Alex smiled and nodded.

"Great! Well, it's been nice to meet you!" Rover said while the train pulled into Valua. "C ya!" Rover said. Alex got off the train, and was greeted by a monkey.

"Hello, eek!" the monkey said. "Welcome to Valua, and enjoy your stay, eek! Alex looked around the town. It was kind of small, but it was nice, with lots of apple trees and flowers, and townspeople! Alex saw an eagle and a bird talking to each other. "They must be pretty friendly." Alex thought while stepping down to the ground from the train station. Alex looked up behind him, and saw a giant clock. It read 9:26 p.m. Suddenly, he saw a raccoon running towards him, waving.

"Ah, you must be Alex, correct?" the raccoon asked Alex. Alex nodded.

"You need a house don't you?" Alex remained silent. "Well?" Alex could see that the raccoon was getting impatient.

"Oh, why yes I do." Alex said quickly while the raccoon laughed.

"Ohohohoho! You poor thing you.whoops! Forgot to introduce myself. I am Tom Nook, the person who owns the store here in Valua." Tom Nook muttered. "Now come and let me show you the houses available." Tom Nook said while walking towards 4 houses with Alex right behind him. Alex looked around. It was pretty formal. With trees, and flowers as usual. Then something caught his eye. A strange looking thing was right next to the house. Tom Nook broke the silence.

"Go and see what house you would like to live in first!" Tom Nook said while clearing his throat. Alex went to the house with a red roof, and went inside. Alex was startled.

"And I thought my room looked bad." Alex thought to himself while looking around the room in disgust. The place was very small and it looked horrible! There was only a tape deck, with a college rule sitting on a orange box! Plus, the floor and the walls were plain! Alex burst out of the house, not wanting to live there. He went to another house and went inside. Alex looked around frantically.

"It's the same thing!!!" Alex thought. It was also very small, with the same exact stuff! The tape deck, the college rule, everything!!! Alex came running out of the house, with of look of irritation on his face.

"Well? Did you find any houses you liked?" Tom Nook asked Alex questioningly.

"Yes." Alex murmured. "The one with the red roof."

"Are you sure?" Tom Nook asked? Alex quivered with irritation.

"YES!!! Now hurry up and get this over with!!!" Alex cried. He felt relieved after he let it all out.

"My my, such a temper." Tom Nook complimented while shaking a finger. "Now, where were we.ah yes! The matter of the cost!" Tom Nook then whipped out a notebook, and started to write things down.

"Hmmm..yes..work time..labor..area..ah!" Tom Nook muttered to himself. Hmmm..I've got it!" Nook exclaimed while putting away his notebook. "The total cost is.19,800 bells!"

"19800 bells! I only brought 1000 bells! He expects me to pay for this small dump that is known as my house!!!" Alex thought, shocked at what the price was.

"Well? The bells please!" Nook said expectantly.

"Ok.here." Alex muttered under his breath as he handed his 1000 bells to Tom Nook.

"You're joking with me right? You only have 1000 bells?! I can't help but laugh!" Tom Nook cried out of breath.

"At least I have money!" Alex yelled, now annoyed at the raccoon.

"Ohoho.hahaha.erm.sorry." Tom Nook muttered while calming down. "You still need a place to live, but with the cost.I know! You can work part time at my shop! That should lower the loan a bit." Tom Nook said happily. "My shop is in Acre A-2. Don't be late!!!" Tom Nook cried out while walking away.