Dylan was racing down the highway toward the football field when he
caught a glimpse of yellow, white and blue plastic flash in his rear
view mirror. The next thing he saw were flashing red and blue lights.
He pulled over and hopped out of the truck after first sticking the
wand in his back pocket.
"Thanks officer, I just realized that my load came loose. I've gotta
get that stuff," he shouted as he ran pass the park squad car and
after the deflated bottle of Miller beer blowing in the wind. He
spotted a purple football further up the road.
Sheriff Bartlesby got out of his squad car and adjusted his
sunglasses. He shook his head and started filling out his ticket
citation. He strolled over to the pick up and glanced in the back of
the pickup bed. He picked up the inflatable rubber sheep and put it
back. He looked at all the new football gear, and stuck his pen in
his mouth. It was a full 10 minutes before a breathless Dylan made it
back to the officer carrying the two inflatables and Hulk placard that
had blown out of his pick up.
"Where you going with all this football gear?" Bartlesby asked
pointedly.
"Huh, huh, taking it to the equipment shed at our high school football
field," panted Dylan.
"Okay, well, you need to tie it down before you get back on the
highway. You're just lucky the mannequins or other gear didn't end up
scattered back there. It's a rough bit of highway."
"Yes, sir. I'll remember that in the future."
"Now where did you get this stuff?"
"Oh, Jeremy was supposed to be raising money for new equipment for the
team and well, I guess he's ultimately responsible, but-"
"Fine. Just need it for reference. If it turns out any of this stuff
is stolen, I'll be talking to you and Jeremy. Now where do you think
you're going?"
"To the equipment shed," Dylan answered as he stowed the deflated
inflatables on the floor behind his seat.
"Not without that stuff tied down first!" warned the sheriff.
Bartlesby had only been the sheriff since November and he was rather
young for his post. He was only 23, but he had a huge groundswell of
sympathy vote due to the fact that his father had been sheriff before,
and had been killed by a drunk driver earlier that year while standing
on the roadside assisting a disabled vehicle. It was only a kid with
pick up full of football gear, but the new Sheriff Bartlesby had to
demonstrate his authority.
Dylan shook his head, "Well do you have some rope I can borrow?"
"No. You should've thought of that before you started driving this
stuff!"
Absentmindedly, Dylan had taken the wand from his back pocket and was
chewing on it like a pencil. He was nervous and uncertain. He gestured
with the wand as he spoke, "Listen Sheriff I wish I had netting to
properly secure the stuff in my truck. But I don't. But you have to
understand about the gear and my team mates."
"You have to understand that I wish you had netting too, th-" Sheriff
said stopping in midword as his body collapsed into a heavy duty mesh
netting designed perfectly to fit over Dylan's truck bed. The sheriff
while getting into Dylan's face had pressed his chest into the tip of
the wand.
"Oh, no, not again!" exclaimed Dylan."I keep trying to explain to you
that all this gear are players, and I'm trying how to figure out how
to turn them and you back. The sheriff no less, this dang wand changed
the sheriff into netting for my pick up truck. I'd throw it away, but
I know I'll need it if I'm ever going to turn you guys back. Well,
Sheriff since you wished yourself this way, I'm going to take it that
you volunteered to help me secure my load so I could take the gear to
the equipment shed."
Dylan carefully secured the netting that used to be the sheriff to the
top of his pick up truck. He stashed the sheriff's gun, boots and
clothing under his car seats. It might get dirty, but he was really
looking forward to changing the sheriff back unless it was really
necessary.