Under Penalty of Law (298 words, 1st pl)

What was that noise? It sounded like…. fabric ripping? Zach remembered his cousin Jack stayed the night.

“Jack, what’re you doing?”

“I’m tearing the tag off this comforter. It’s itchy.”

“You’re WHAT?” Zach rushed to turn on the light. Too late!

“Grab my piggy bank. We’re running.”

“Why?”

“I don’t wanna go to jail! Didn’t you read the tag?”

“I’m only in kindergarten. You’re in second grade. You can read way better.” He handed the tag to Zach.

“Do not remove under penalty of law except by the consumer,” Zach shook. “I read that the other night so I didn’t take it off even though the tag was itching me too.”

“What’s a con-soom-ner?”

“Dunno, but I do know that if you don’t know what it is, that means you aren’t one.” Zach knotted together his sheets so they could sneak out his second story window, and tied the end to his bedpost.

“Let’s change our clothes to all black. We can’t start a new life in dinosaur pajamas.”

Zach found his ninja Halloween costume from last year. Perfect! The only thing they could find for Jack were Zach’s old swimming trunks from two summers ago. They were a little loose on Jack, but at least they were black.

“We’ll bury the evidence just outside town.”

“Good idea.” Jack grabbed the piggy bank, Zach a toy shovel.

They started down the makeshift escape rope. Jack’s swim shorts slipped from his waist, and the piggy bank dropped out of Jack’s hands and broke on the walkway, spilling change everywhere.

“You’re being too noisy!” Zach whisper-shouted.

“Boys?” The porch light illuminated the strange scene. Jack dangled from one hand, trying to pull up his swimsuit with the other. Zach looked terrified, for a ninja.

“What happened here?” Linda asked, half-amused.