the gate was another small screen, like the one they had encountered at the previous gate. Above this screen, a small sign read, “Absolutely no admittance without visitor’s pass.” On the screen itself, in letters glowing a bright green, Dylan saw the same list that he had in his shirt pocket.
Authorized Personnel will:
look out for the interests of others, not just for their own personal interests;
pay back good for evil;
do, speak, and think only what is kind;
keep tempers, emotions, and mouths under control at all times;
demonstrate forgiveness to the same person up to 490 times;
show all due respect to the Founder of Holiday;
rejoice in the very fullest way possible.
The words under the screen read, “Type in your first and last names.”
Dylan turned back to Clare. Without looking at her, he said, “I don’t think they’ll let me in. I don’t meet those requirements.”
“Well, try it and see,” Clare urged.
Dylan typed in his name. The words on the screen changed to, “Welcome, Dylan. Insert your visitor’s pass.”
Dylan reached for the wallet in his back pocket, where he had placed his visitor’s pass. His wallet was not there. He tried the other pocket. It was empty too. “My wallet’s gone!” he said.
“Did you leave it in the forest?” Clare asked.
Dylan shook his head. “No, we used visitor’s passes at the last gate, remember? I had it then, and I put it back in my pocket.” Suddenly Dylan understood. “Those guys back there, with the dirt clods. They were just trying to distract me so they could get my wallet.”
Clare remembered how the gang of boys had closed in a tight circle around Dylan before the policeman came. “That must be it,” she said. “Did you have much money in there?”
Dylan shook his head. “But what about Holiday? I can’t even get into the park without my visitor’s pass. Look at yours. What does it say on it about what happens if you don’t have one?”
Clare pulled out her visitor’s pass and read, “Failure to present this pass when asked to do so will result in a costly fine, immediate expulsion from Holiday, and the forfeiture of all right to ever return.” Dylan looked at her with a sickly expression. “Look at the screen,” Clare said, pointing at it.
“It’s saying something else.”
Dylan looked and read the words, “If you have no visitor’s pass, press ‘No.’”
Dylan pressed the No button. The screen changed again. Now it said, “Enormous fine due now.” Those words, however, remained on the screen for only a few seconds. Then they gave way to these: “Paid in full. New pass issued.” The machine began to click, and slowly a new pass slid out. Dylan took it and saw that it had his name on it. Although in every other way it was just the same as his old one, where the old one had said, “Visitor’s Pass,” this new one read, “Dylan’s Pass.”
Puzzled but elated, Dylan took the pass and inserted it into the proper slot. Clare began to do the same, but stopped, staring at the pass in her hand. “Dylan, look!” she gasped. Dylan looked at her pass and saw that it had changed. It no longer read “Visitor’s Pass.” Instead, he saw the bold letters of “Clare’s Pass.” Wondering, Clare inserted her pass. The gate swung open and the two entered the park.
mistletoe and Nightmares
T he gate swung shut behind Dylan and Clare. They heard quiet clicking sounds as it locked automatically. They had no feelings of fear about being locked in, only a sense of safety in knowing that everyone else was locked out. “And none too soon, either,” Clare said as the last ray of the sun set behind a building.
“I wouldn’t want to spend the night out there.”
Dylan was distracted with the mystery of how he had entered. “But who paid my fine?” he asked. “And how did we get new passes?”
“Why, it was the Founder of course.” The voice was quiet but crystal clear, and it sounded deeply soothing.
Dylan and
Authorized Personnel will:
look out for the interests of others, not just for their own personal interests;
pay back good for evil;
do, speak, and think only what is kind;
keep tempers, emotions, and mouths under control at all times;
demonstrate forgiveness to the same person up to 490 times;
show all due respect to the Founder of Holiday;
rejoice in the very fullest way possible.
The words under the screen read, “Type in your first and last names.”
Dylan turned back to Clare. Without looking at her, he said, “I don’t think they’ll let me in. I don’t meet those requirements.”
“Well, try it and see,” Clare urged.
Dylan typed in his name. The words on the screen changed to, “Welcome, Dylan. Insert your visitor’s pass.”
Dylan reached for the wallet in his back pocket, where he had placed his visitor’s pass. His wallet was not there. He tried the other pocket. It was empty too. “My wallet’s gone!” he said.
“Did you leave it in the forest?” Clare asked.
Dylan shook his head. “No, we used visitor’s passes at the last gate, remember? I had it then, and I put it back in my pocket.” Suddenly Dylan understood. “Those guys back there, with the dirt clods. They were just trying to distract me so they could get my wallet.”
Clare remembered how the gang of boys had closed in a tight circle around Dylan before the policeman came. “That must be it,” she said. “Did you have much money in there?”
Dylan shook his head. “But what about Holiday? I can’t even get into the park without my visitor’s pass. Look at yours. What does it say on it about what happens if you don’t have one?”
Clare pulled out her visitor’s pass and read, “Failure to present this pass when asked to do so will result in a costly fine, immediate expulsion from Holiday, and the forfeiture of all right to ever return.” Dylan looked at her with a sickly expression. “Look at the screen,” Clare said, pointing at it.
“It’s saying something else.”
Dylan looked and read the words, “If you have no visitor’s pass, press ‘No.’”
Dylan pressed the No button. The screen changed again. Now it said, “Enormous fine due now.” Those words, however, remained on the screen for only a few seconds. Then they gave way to these: “Paid in full. New pass issued.” The machine began to click, and slowly a new pass slid out. Dylan took it and saw that it had his name on it. Although in every other way it was just the same as his old one, where the old one had said, “Visitor’s Pass,” this new one read, “Dylan’s Pass.”
Puzzled but elated, Dylan took the pass and inserted it into the proper slot. Clare began to do the same, but stopped, staring at the pass in her hand. “Dylan, look!” she gasped. Dylan looked at her pass and saw that it had changed. It no longer read “Visitor’s Pass.” Instead, he saw the bold letters of “Clare’s Pass.” Wondering, Clare inserted her pass. The gate swung open and the two entered the park.
mistletoe and Nightmares
T he gate swung shut behind Dylan and Clare. They heard quiet clicking sounds as it locked automatically. They had no feelings of fear about being locked in, only a sense of safety in knowing that everyone else was locked out. “And none too soon, either,” Clare said as the last ray of the sun set behind a building.
“I wouldn’t want to spend the night out there.”
Dylan was distracted with the mystery of how he had entered. “But who paid my fine?” he asked. “And how did we get new passes?”
“Why, it was the Founder of course.” The voice was quiet but crystal clear, and it sounded deeply soothing.
Dylan and
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