The exploding sound of a gunshot rips across the air, causing the entire town to wake up from the loud noise. Andy is the only confused one, not sure what to do as Bobby quickly gets up from the ground. They weren’t able to stay at Potato Man’s Potatoes after Bobby apparently said something “offensive” to the owner’s hometown. They’ll probably never know after Bobby was punched in the face and told to never come back.

They fortunately never saw the Cat Man, since they slept behind someone’s house. Luckily they weren’t caught by anyone, even though there was a window right above them. At one point a boy and his mom had an argument right next to. Something about hearing a meowing noise outside.

“Wake up!” Bobby says to Andy. He groans, sitting up slowly, glaring at Bobby.

“I’m up, happy? What was that gunshot about?” He asks in a sleepy tone.

“It’s The Game! C’mon, it’s starting pretty soon,” Bobby answers excitedly, grinning widely like a kid who got the toy they saw on a commercial.

“Should’ve told me when it was, I wasn’t expecting the gunshot,” He says to him, standing up along with Bobby. 

Bobby grabs his arm, dragging him towards the large crowd that stands in the middle of the town, several wooden boxes making up a small stage for a man with a gun to stand on. 

Once the two friends make it to the group of people, the man begins to talk.

“Hello everyone, and welcome to The Game!” He shouts enthusiastically, everyone cheering in response. “Now, as always, we’ll start off with a joke. My pa told me this one last week, and I thankfully remembered it for today. Here it is: Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!” 

The audience erupts into fits of laughter, except for Andy. 

“They find this funny?” He asks Bobby, who was in the middle of choking on his spit from laughing so hard.  

“What? You don’t think it’s funny? It’s pure genius!” Bobby replies, confused.

“It’s not.”

“Funny, right?” The man on the stage says. “Now, let’s go over the rules for the newcomers, and people with bad memories. Whoever wins the challenge will earn a point, and whoever has the most points wins. The loser has to drive to the gas station and collect our rations for the month.”

“Now, let’s start our first game, Slap-Tag!”