Sherlock found it hard to breathe inside the trunk. He was losing air quickly, and he tried to hold his breath. He began to perspire.
"Mycroft!" he shouted. He heard his brother talking with his friends in the other room.
Sherlock began to cry.
"Mycroft! Mycroft please help me!" he cried.
Redbeard, Sherlock's loyal companion, heard his plead for help. He sniffed for Sherlock's scent and listened for the voice of his master.
Sherlock thought no human being would help him. No one could. Mycroft was in the living room, talking to fraternity boys(their mother made him invite "friends" over), and his mother was in the garden, and his father was away.
Sherlock had been stuffed into a trunk by two of the fraternity boys who thought it would be funny torture for the nine year old. They hadn't taken into consideration that he could die from lack of oxygen.
Suddenly, Sherlock heard a loud bark come from outside.
"Redbeard! Good boy! Clever boy! Go get Mum! Go get Mum!"
Redbeard obeyed his master.
"Redbeard, what is it?" asked Mrs. Holmes.
Redbeard stood there, wining.
"Redbeard?"
Mrs. Holmes reached to pet him, but the dog pulled away. He looked back and forth between her and the house.
Mrs. Holmes lifted her head to Sherlock's open bedroom window.
"Sherlock!" she called. She called his name several times, but he did not answer.
Redbeard barked at Mrs. Holmes.
Mrs. Holmes set down her garden hoe and decided to follow the excited Irish setter.
Sherlock's eyelids grew heavy. He knew he was losing consciousness. He thought about Mycroft. "Ha, you won't have an annoying little brother now, will you?" he thought.
"Mike, take your feet off my coffee table!" said Mrs. Holmes.
Mycroft reluctantly obeyed.
"My name is Mycroft. Seven letters in all. Mummy, can't you remember?"
The fraternity boys snickered.
"Have you seen Sherlock?" she asked, dodging his sarcasm.
"No. But that's good, isn't it?"
Mrs. Holmes rolled her eyes. Redbeard was going crazy. He stood on his hind legs and patted Mrs. Holmes blouse.
"What in the devil is wrong, Redbeard?"
Redbeard barked. He dashed to the steps and looked back down at her. Mrs. Holmes continued to follow Redbeard.
Redbeard began knawing at the latches on the truck.
"Redbeard stop that-"
"Mummy! Mummy I'm in here!" Sherlock cried as loud as he could.
Mrs. Holmes opened the trunk.
"My baby!" she exclaimed. She pulled Sherlock into her arms. He was sweaty and limp against her. She stroked his hair and kissed him.
Mrs. Holmes took a belt and whipped the fraternity boys. Mycroft never saw them again.
Sherlock sat at his bedside with a large glass of water on his nightstand. His mother told him he could not go to bed without drinking all of it. Redbeard licked his cheek, and fell asleep at the foot of his bed, exactly where Sherlock wanted him to be.
