Blogging Friends....
Ray Bradbury had a quotation. It went like this. "My stories run
up and bite me on the leg - I respond by writing down everything that goes on
during the bite. When I finish, the idea lets go and runs off." This fictional children's book is
proof that there's a definite truth in those words!! How so? First, this story was
originally planned for October. However. My potential story for September never
{Ever!!} "bit me in the leg"!! Boy!! Was that a cosmic first for me as
an artist!! But "Bigfoot's Cabin"? This story bit me in the leg and
locked its jaws like a Pit Bull!! {For Readers who own that dog breed. I do not
mean to offend you!! This was merely an innocent analogy!! I happen to like Pit
Bulls!!} So "Bigfoot's Cabin" it was!! Also. I completely named my
character, Robin, after the late Robin Williams!! Hopefully I served his
personality that we all loved well!! By the way? I had far too much fun creating
a character that was--hopefully!!--just like Robin Williams!! Love you later.
Note. Although this children's book
is fictional, it's based in our childhood vacation camping location!! Ah, memories!!
Sorry for
posting this two days late!! When I promised to post it on Monday, I forgot a little something!! Whoops!! September 1st was Labor Day!! What was I thinking?! Oh well!! All of
that turned out just fine, since I
was not quite finished writing it,
anyway!! Yes, I worked on Labor Day!! In my own defense? We enjoyed ourselves a "last hurrah of Summer" with something planned every single freakin' day {It was insanely busy!! I am still in recovery!!} during the final week of August!! And this did not leave much time for writing!! Then, I needed some--as my dear Blogging Friend, Molly, from the other side of the
pond says--"big easy" yesterday!! So!! I gave myself some!! Well!! Better
late than never?!
"Creating beautiful mosaic artwork" with the broken, shattered pieces of my lifelong dream to be an author....
For my dear Blogging
Friends who have children. You may print this story off and read it to them!! I am alright with that!! Enjoy!!
"Bigfoot's Cabin"
"Bigfoot's Cabin"
There is a beautiful place where nature-loving people drive to, go
camping and create lasting memories. It has no electricity for things such as television
or D.V.D. players or computers. And there is not any plumbing, either. Instead?
There are stuffy stinky outhouses!! Yes, this place is where most people
participate in "real camping". There are very few R.V. trailers
parked alongside cars. Because most people build colorful tents and curl up in
sleeping bags on the hard ground!! There are also bugs. Light-obsessed night
insects of many different kinds. Blue thin-bodied dragonflies. Lazy mysterious
moths. Not to mention seemingly countless pesky blood-sucking mosquitoes!! Which
is just the way these nature-loving people like it!! No, they would not camp any
other way!!
But this place also has rows and rows and rows of towering trees
which provide shade!! There are no bright-shining streetlights, so the
nighttime sky is pinned with endless twinkling stars!! This place also has a gorgeous
lake that seemingly stretches out for miles and miles and miles on end!! Nature-loving
people can smell the fishy-scented freshwaters before they even see it!! And this
salty-tasting lake is always freezing cold. Unless warm sunbeams touch it!! People
can be either crazy, insane, or both and actually swim in that lake. Or they might
walk neck-deep toward its drop-off. But less adventurous people can sit on
inflatable rafts, stay mostly dry, and paddle out to witness a breathtaking snow-covered
mountain.
This beautiful place was where Robin, an energetic, crystal-clear blue-eyed,
grey-haired, responsible Boy Scout leader with huge personality of Troop 343
had driven his seven 10-year old kids. Their names were Luka, Nathaniel, Logan,
Patrick, Christopher, Malcolm and Charles. It was such a long, long, long drive. Because when Robin at last
pulled his Chevrolet suburban into their campsite, four hours had passed by!!
After the Boy Scouts diligently helped build tents, unroll sleeping bags, gather
firewood, and make lunch, all seven kids went exploring. Then--completely out
of nowhere--they discovered an abandoned log cabin with a tin roof.
"Hey, what is that?!" asked Luka.
"I do not know," answered Nathaniel, "Is it a big
outhouse?"
"Nah," Logan replied, his nose sniffing the air, "It
can't be an outhouse. I do not smell any pee or poop!!"
"You are gross, Logan!!" said Patrick.
"I know I am!!" said Logan, "What do you guys think
it is?!"
"Well," said
Christopher, "Why are we just standing here?! Let's go and explore it!! That
is, after all, the only way we will ever find out!!"
"Good point!!" exclaimed Malcolm.
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!!" Charles yelled enthusiastically.
And explore they did!! The Boy Scouts happily ran toward that
mysterious building!!
"It is a small log cabin!!" exclaimed Charles, who was the
first one there, "Cool!!"
"And it is completely in the middle of nowhere!!" said
Malcolm, "Weird."
"I cannot see inside it!!" complained Christopher, "The
windows are all boarded up!!"
"And its door is locked!!" said Nathaniel, "Wait!! I
see a ladder!!"
"Where?!" asked Christopher.
"Right there!!" said Luka, "I'll climb it and see if
I can look inside!!"
Which Luka did!! Step by step by step. Meanwhile Nathaniel, Logan,
Patrick, Christopher, Malcolm and Charles waited impatiently on the ground!!
"There is a bed inside!!" announced Luka to the other
boys, "With white sheets on it!!"
Then suddenly Patrick screamed like a little girl. He had seen
something that scared him.
"Wha-wha-what is that?!" Patrick asked.
He nervously pointed to the body of a mysterious creature. It had
hair all over. This mysterious creature lie motionless underneath the abandoned
log cabin.
"It looks like Chewbacca from Star Wars!!" Nathaniel commented.
"That cannot be!!" Christopher said matter-of-factly,
"Chewbacca is not real!!"
"Who says?!" Malcolm argued, "He could be
real!!"
"Well," said Luka as he climbed down from the ladder,
"If it is Chewbacca, then I would not go anywhere near him!! That
character can rip people's arms out of their sockets, according to Han
Solo!!"
"What if it's a bear?" asked Charles, wide-eyed.
"That is even scarier and more dangerous than Chewbacca!!"
exclaimed Patrick, now panicking, "Let's get out of here!!"
Just then Logan extended his right arm and touched the mysterious
hairy creature. Which was very brave of him!! Why? Because nobody knew if this
mysterious hairy creature was alive, dead or sleeping!! Luka, Nathaniel,
Patrick, Christopher, Malcolm and Charles gasped, their mouths all wide open.
They then each stepped back from the abandoned cabin. Patrick, of course,
looked as though he was going to run away!! However. The mysterious hairy
creature did not growl, move or even chase after Luka, Nathaniel, Logan,
Patrick, Christopher, Malcolm and Charles!!
"It feels bristly, like my Dad's goatee!!" report Logan,
"Cool!! And by the way? Whatever it is {Chewbacca, a bear, an ape} it is
definitely not alive!!"
"Are you sure....?" Patrick cautiously asked.
"I am positive!!" said Logan, "Come over here and
touch it!! Trust me!!"
Then Luka, Nathaniel, Christopher, Malcolm, Charles
and--yes--Patrick walked up to the mysterious hairy creature. One by one by one
they touched its lifeless dirt-covered bristly body. Then the Boy Scouts looked
at their wristwatches. It was late afternoon, just before dinnertime!! So the
boys walked back to their campsite. They then helped make dinner. After diligently
cleaning up camp, Luka, Nathaniel, Logan, Patrick, Christopher, Malcolm and
Charles told Robin all about the abandoned cabin with that mysterious hairy
creature!!
"Oh...." said Robin in his booming voice, "You boys
saw the legendary Bigfoot's Cabin!!"
"Wait. What?!" squealed Patrick, "Bigfoot's Cabin?
You mean....? The hairy creature is Bigfoot?! That's even scarier than their guesses
of it being Chewbacca or a bear!!"
"Yeah, but Bigfoot is not real," Christopher said matter-of-factly,
"Just like Chewbacca!!"
"Ssshh!! Don't say that!!" said Robin in a mysterious
voice, "Don't ever say that!! Especially
not in these woods!! Because Bigfoot is very, very, very real!!"
"Wait," said Logan, "What's the 'legendary' Bigfoot's
Cabin? I am just curious."
"What?!" said Robin in a shocked tone of voice, "You
have never heard about Bigfoot's Cabin?! Really?! Where have you been all your
Life, kid? Why, the legendary Bigfoot's Cabin is huger than Santa Claus around
here!!"
Completely captivated, Luka, Nathaniel, Logan, Patrick, Christopher,
Malcolm and Charles shook their heads "no". They had never heard
about Bigfoot's Cabin!!
"Well!!" said Robin in his booming voice, "Let's
start a fire, roast some marshmallows, make s'mores and I will gladly tell you
all about it!!"
Which was exactly what they did!! During several sticky sweet
marshmallow chocolate Graham cracker sandwiches, Robin told
the story of Bigfoot's Cabin!!
"Warning", Robin quickly said, "This is a ghost
story, so it could get a little scary!!"
But neither Luka, Nathaniel, Logan, Christopher, Malcolm Charles--or
even Patrick--seemed to care!! They just made their s'mores and listened!! For
Robin had their full attention.
It all
started sometime in the early 1990's--which was years before you boys were ever
even born!!--when a group of eight kids, mostly girls, explored these very
woods and discovered Bigfoot's Cabin, he began.
While telling this story, Robin seemed very energetic!! And his
booming voice was full of excitement!!
Their
experience would have been quite similar to yours, continued Robin, These kids climbed the ladder so that they
could look inside. One by one by one by one. They also walked circles around
Bigfoot's Cabin. For these kids explored every single detail of it!! And yes, oh
yes, oh yes, they, too, saw Bigfoot lying underneath the log cabin!!
"Did seeing him scare those kids?" interrupted Patrick,
"Because I was sure afraid!!"
"No, they were not scared," replied Robin, "But hush
now!! Let me finish telling you the story about Bigfoot's Cabin!! I am almost done!!"
Now, continued Robin, Nobody can remember who, exactly, started
the story of Bigfoot's Cabin. Was it a dark-haired bearded man named Landon? {Four
of the girls were his daughters.} Or was it a tall white-haired bearded man
named Bode? {The other four kids were his.} It is hard to say. Because both
Landon and Bode were fun guys with huge imaginations!! Not to mention, they had a weird sense of humor!!
Well, said Robin, Story has it that the mysterious hairy
creature which those kids--and you--discovered is Bigfoot's body!! Now?
Bigfoot's ghost runs around these very campsites, woods and even the gorgeous
lake!! When you hear a noise or sound at night? It is Bigfoot's ghost!! When
you see tree branches move during the day? It is Bigfoot's ghost!! For he's out
to attack campers!! So there we have it, Bigfoot hunters. You will never find
him. Because he is dead!! And that's the story of Bigfoot's Cabin!!
Suddenly everything was eerily quiet. Not even one cricket chirped!! Luka,
Nathaniel, Logan, Patrick, Christopher, Malcolm and Charles just sat by the
warm fire. Their faces were glowing, eyes wide open. Then Christopher asked some questions.
"If Bigfoot is dead and his ghost haunts these woods," he said
matter-of-factly, "Then why can we see him underneath the log cabin? Shouldn't
Bigfoot's body be gone? I am just saying."
"Or Bigfoot would be nothing but an awesome-looking bony
skeleton!!" Logan added, "Right?"
"You are so weird, Logan!!" said Nathaniel, "Why is
Bigfoot's body underneath the log cabin? Did he once live there, or something?"
"Those are all very good questions!!" replied Robin, "But
truth be told? I do not know why, when Bigfoot's ghost haunts these woods, that
we can still see his dead body. He should be gone, Christopher!! I can't but
agree!! And I do not know why Bigfoot's body is not a bony skeleton!! It should
be, Logan!! I can't but agree!! And I do not know why Bigfoot's hairy body is
underneath the cabin!! I guess your answers are as good as anybody's!!"
Then it was time for bed. That night as Luka, Nathaniel, Logan,
Patrick, Christopher, Malcolm and Charles lie in their sleeping bags, the boys listened,
wide-awake, to every single noise or sound. Because they were completely
terrified!!
Is it
Bigfoot's ghost?!
LOL think we'd be listening out for every sound too. Nicely written.
ReplyDeleteHave a tremendous Thursday.
Best wishes Molly
Molly....
DeleteThank-you for the comment, Friend!!
"LOL think we'd be listening out for every sound too. Nicely written." Thanks, Friend!! I would definitely be listening out for every single sound that night!! Hee, hee, hee.... ;op