© By Kenneth Albert Mc Intyre

This is a story about a young boys adventure, in a world below the surface of our world, through a door known as a,” Crack in the Sod.” This is an adventure that he will never forget-- except through Magic.

Timothy Q. Mac Kenzie

And

Crack in the Sod!

“AND SO IT BEGINS”

THE ADVENTURES OF TIMMY AND THE

“CRACK IN THE SOD”

Chapter one

“THE CELLAR DOOR”

The forest floor was dark except for the occasional splash of moonlight that danced its way through the thick foliage of the trees whenever the full bright moon edged its way from behind the clouds; and the night was still and silent of the night creatures, the chirpings and singings that were normally there; all except, that is, for the sounds of panting breath and an occasional twig snapping under the padded feet, of the shaggy figure, bounding through the ghostly forest.

Insects that usually spend their night chirping to each other, went still as the shadow of the creature past quickly through their domain. ”He is a finder and must be stopped,” was the eerie whisper that replaced the chirping of the night.

The creature was loping swiftly; breathing heavily now, as it moved from the forest, into a meadow, momentarily standing still in the bright moonlight, as the moon emerged from behind another cloud and then slowly disappeared again.

Then, moving quickly again through the wavering light, it took on the appearance of an enormous, misshapen dog, sauntering along silently until it reached a cornfield; where it paused momentarily and then went sprinting into the corn.

The breaking sounds of the leaves could be heard as it forced its way along the corn rows until it came to the edge of the corn field and the beginning of an orchard; where it stopped; panting to catch its breath, and looked as though it was trying to decide what to do next.

Then it slowly stood up on its massive hind legs, stretched tall and moaned, as if it was in pain, as it stood there in the moon light; its enormous chest expanding in its shadow as it throbbed and grew far beyond what it had been while running through the forest…. Its claws grew long and sharp and its long pointed teeth, dripping with saliva, gleamed in the moon light…. Then it sulked down in the shadows at the edge of the corn and waited, seemingly for the right moment.

The sky was cloudier now, giving more shadows of cover for the creature, and it moved off again; moving across the orchard,… walking slowly, standing upright now on two huge strong hind legs, moving toward a small farmhouse on a hill top, on the far side of the orchard that stood out in the gray horizon provided by the moon,

It was warm a night, except for the light breeze, that puffed now and then through Timmy’s window. Timmy could hear the crickets and other insects chirping for their mates in the warm air, as he tried to sleep.

Then, suddenly, all was eerie quiet; all except for the lonely chirp of a single cricket making one last effort to call a mate before going silent and the sound of an twig being broken near his window in the otherwise sudden silence.

Then, suddenly, without warning, the still night air was broken with a terrible tearing and clawing at the window of Timmy’s room,… then screeches of pain came ringing from outside his window and bright flashes of light lit up his room as if lightning was striking just outside his window, driving him under the covers of his bed as if that would protect him. He heard himself hollering, suddenly fearing that he had given his hiding place away; “Mom! Dad! It’s back! Dad! Mom! Mom! It’s Back, It’s here again!!” Mom! It’s back; it’s trying to get in.”... Help! ---He heard his father yell a response, “I hear it Timmy. I’ve got my gun. I’ll get it this time!”

Then he heard the porch door slamming open against its stop and shots being fired; than more howling, crashing and buzzing just outside his window as the thing that was tearing, trying to get in, suddenly quit and disappeared, running swiftly back into the Orchard.

Than he heard his father’s shout out, “Mother, call the Sheriff! I think that I hit it but it ran back into the dark toward the Orchard! I think that it is still there; it’s making an awful noise…. No! Sounds like its running through the corn­-it might be going toward the forest.”

“It must have heard me crashing thru the screen door with my gun and Timmy doing all that hollering…. but there was something else there too! Something small, flinging sparks; something jabbing and poking at it…. I’m not sure what it was…. it was just a blur…. but there were flashes and sparks flying everywhere; I think that something else was attacking at it!

 When the Sheriff gets here, we will see. I’ll take him back to where it disappeared. Timmy, go back to bed now. It’ll be all right now. There is lots of work to do tomorrow. We will take care of this now. You go back to bed.”

Early the next morning breakfast was ham and eggs, with some of mom’s homemade biscuits and hash brown potatoes; which was great, because Timmy was hungry and he had lots of work to do outside and he liked a big country breakfast anyway.  "Hot today isn't it!" Jay said, to his younger brother, Timmy, with a smile on his face, as Timmy sat on the railing of the back porch, chewing on his last biscuit.

He was trying to hear what his father and a Forest Ranger and the Sheriff were talking about from his perch on the railing. … They were in the driveway and too far away for Timmy to hear real well; … and what was the forest ranger doing here anyway?

He was pretending to be looking out at the Orchard and the tall weeds that he had to cut, when he answered Jay; "Yeah, it’s hot all right!" Timmy answered.

“What are they talking about?” He asked -- gesturing toward the sheriff, his dad and the forest ranger.

“Did they get what ever it was at my window last night?”

Jay didn’t answer him; he just gave him a funny look and gave Timmy a “Schhh!” sound, trying to listen himself as he continued doing what he was doing; acting like he was picking grass out of the mower or something

            The three men started toward the house and went around the side to where the window to Timmy’s bedroom was and where the thing trying to get in.

Then he heard his father say, “I’m telling you Bill, This thing was real this time. …Just look at this mess; … The window sill all scratched and torn up; … the bushes all trampled and broken; … and just look at the wood! Something awful sharp and strong, clawing away at this wood, had to do that!” Then they saw Timmy trying to listen and they looked at each other and abruptly stopped talking.

Then, Timmy’s father gave a stern look his way and said, -- also, looking a little annoyed-- “you got something to do young Man?”

“Yea, I know; I’m on my way.

What happened last night? … What was it?” Timmy asked, as he walked past them on his way to the Orchard.

“We’re working on it; … we aren’t sure yet; … you better get that Orchard done or the weeds will be too high and hard for you to cut,” his father answered; “You’ll be out there forever!”

Timmy knew he was right; … and it wasn’t going to be an easy job anyway.

It was one of those really hot, dry summer days. … The kind that encourages the insects to rub their dry wings together, and make those sharp, shrill, rustling sounds, that seemed to emphasize summer and the heat!

Timothy Q. Mac Kenzie and his family had just recently moved to this small farm in the country.--There were four in the family, counting his dog Ginger, his brother Jay and his mom and dad. … Ginger was his dog, but the whole family loved her.

He used to live at the edge of a small city, called Clawson. It was snuggled in a small valley in the countryside, and he just loved to go for hikes with his father, and his brother Jay. Ginger would just trot along. .

Their house was not very far from small woods near Clawson, and they used to hike there quite often…. Looking at the sights of nature and exploring the woods for Hickory and Black Walnut trees, and gathering the nuts for his mother.

Timmy was always trying to do better than his father and Jay, by finding and naming more trees and animals then they did. … However, Jay and his father were the ones that had shown him how to identify the trees and animals in the first place, so it was very hard to outdo them! But he studied some books about the forest, and every now and then he would make a score by naming one that they didn’t know.

He had learned an awful lot from them about the woods and nature, and sometimes they would even camp out there overnight. … To Timmy, that was a real treat, but at times it was scary too, because of the night sounds and not knowing what they were, or even more importantly, where they were coming from.

Jay really liked teasing him about bears and wolves prowling around; -- of course there weren’t supposed to be any this close to town anyway. But … still … he stayed close to the fire and his father after dark and tried to act brave, but they knew that he felt uneasy and didn’t carry the teasing too far.

He was older and braver now and they had moved out to the country to live on the farm. They had a big garden, an orchard, lots of chickens, and a rabbit or two, "that kept producing so fast that his father, always had to give them away". And they also had some ducks on a pond.

At one time they had thirty-seven ducks; …but something kept getting them and killing them off.

Timmy’s father said that he thought that it might have been a fox or a weasel that had gotten them, because it would have to have been something that was small enough to sneak up on them and get them by surprise; … mostly at night.

Timmy just knew that something was getting them; … and he didn't like it!

One time he saw a hawk swoop down and get one. … He could see the little yellow duck flapping its wings and hear it quacking, in its talons, as the hawk flew away. … He couldn’t help that one!

"But now, there is only two ducks left; Two great big black and white ones with big red combs on their heads." All of the rest had the white ones, had either been killed off or eaten or his father had sold them for a little extra money while he was still able to do that.

His father said, "That the only reason that the big black ones were still there on the pond was that they could fly and most likely they were sleeping in the trees at night.’ … All of the others, all except for one, couldn't fly. They were mostly white ducks and their breed just couldn't fly! That was because of the type of ducks that they were; the type that stayed near a pond to look pretty and didn’t roam around much. … “Anyway, not being able to fly didn’t help them any!"

The neighbors around the farm had all of the big animals. …"You know! Horses and cows; … some even had goats and sheep. … One had these great big, strange birds, like ostriches except they were called something else; he couldn’t remember the name.

And, of course Timmy had Ginger, his great loveable dog!

She was not a special breed of dog or anything, but to Timmy, she was the best! The best ever! They called her the family farm dog but she picked him for, "Master!"

He went with his dad to get her when she was just a fluff ball of a puppy; he brought her home stuffed in his shirt. … They had pretty much grown up together. … He named her Ginger because of her color. She was black and tan and had pointed brown ears with just a touch of white on her chest.

He really loved Ginger. She was his greatest companion. She would do anything he asked her to do! She was too big to be a lap dog, but she liked to try getting on his lap anyway. Sometimes it worked out ok, depending on where Timmy was setting at the time.

They were "A perfect match!" Is what his father would say, when ever someone would look at them with admiration or made comments on how well they got along together!

His father had helped him train her when she was a pup, and now she was a great dog; and a real friend too.

Timmy had been out of school on summer vacation for about a week; and now that he was out of school he had to help more around the farm and had gone outside to watch Jay, before doing his chores when he had noticed the Sheriff’s car in the driveway. … Now his father had just told him to move along so Timmy assumed that they were talking, “man talk,” and besides, he had to take on his biggest chore yet, which was to cut away the tall grass around the apple trees in the orchard, once his brother Jay had the mowing done between the trees.

It was not a really big orchard; but still he felt that it was a lot of work for a kid his age. He was only nine; Nine until Tomorrow!

"Tomorrow is Timmy's Birthday isn't it?" Jay had said to his mother earlier; as though she needed to be reminded?

There were several good apple trees in the orchard and the grass that he had to trim around them was quite tall. He knew that he had a big job in front of him. Particularly on a hot day like this day was! There was a little shade to work in under some of the trees, but still, it was rather hot!

He had brought two jugs of cold water to the orchard, one for Ginger and one for himself; He knew that they would need it, before they were finished.

Ginger was with him almost all of the time since he had gotten her; especially when he was doing anything outside. … He liked to go on hikes with her and explore the countryside. He even got them lost once, but Ginger found the way back and led them back home! That was a real adventure too! He remembered all about that time that they were lost, and thought about all the other good times that he and Ginger had too; especially when they had first moved to the farm!

Timmy had taken Ginger all over most of the farm and they almost knew every creek, tree and bush by heart. But there was one place that they hadn’t been, and that was a far corner of the farm, near the State Forest.

There was supposed to be a small lake back there somewhere in the forest, near the corner of their farm. Some people around the area referred to it as Mud Lake and others said that it was attached to Big Fish Lake by a stream; all good fish’en too, according to them! -- His father said that it was on the county map of the area, but there was no road going back there. He thought that was a shame too, because the few people who had been back there, said that it was a beautiful lake and that it had lots of great fish.

Well that was enough for Timmy! He was going to find that Lake and get some of those fish!

He got up early one Saturday morning; packed a sandwich and some other tidbits for the trip and put them in a paper sack. Then he borrowed one of Jay’s old backpacks, put the sack in and loaded it up with a few more of the usual things for a hike. -- He put in a compass, matches, some flint and steel from a fire kit, a piece of plastic to set on, canteen of water, an old fishing knife with one broken blade and one good one, an axe, a length of rope, some fishing supplies, his special goodies and something for Ginger and when he was all set; he grabbed his walking stick; the one that he called, "Jag" that he used for exploring and Scout hikes; and off they went!

They went through the orchard and followed the edge of the alfalfa field to an old fence that had a hole in it, where they were able to get through and then they went across a cornfield. “Timmy liked the sound of the cornstalks rustling as he walked through it and the fresh smell of the corn.”

When he came out the far edge of the cornfield he, called to Ginger! He could hear her still moving thru the corn behind him. She really liked to run and jump ahead most of the time to see what she could scare up. Some times there were deer and raccoon in the corn and she loved to get them going.  She especially liked chasing the deer. They would make the most noise while running away. … Then, Timmy would call her and she would stop chasing them and come swiftly back to him.

But when he called her this time, the rustling of the corn stalks stopped, abruptly! Timmy called again and Ginger came running up to him; but not from the cornfield; but from near the foot of a hill in front of him. … That was odd, Timmy thought to himself; He was sure that he had heard her in the corn behind him, and he hadn’t seen any deer or raccoon in the corn either. So what was making the corn rustle if Ginger wasn't there?

Ginger was prancing right in front of him now, so he ignored the noise that was in the corn altogether.

They still had to go over the hill and cross a meadow before they entered the State forest to start looking for the lake and that was still a little ways away.

He knew there would be a fence there because the farm was all fenced in from before, when there were cows on the farm. That was a long time ago though, before the great tornado came and bounced down and tore up the fields and destroyed the old farmhouse. The man who owned the farm at the time was the only survivor. They had found him in the orchard.

The farmhouse was rebuilt, but shortly after that the old man died; no one knew what the he had died from. Not even the Sheriff from Burton, where the farm was, could figure it out. He just died! They said that when they found him, his eyes were wide open and that he had bitten his tongue almost in two and was without color. At first they thought he had a heart attack but some said that he looked more like he had been scared to death. His face was all twisted and frozen, with a terrified look on it.

There was no other family left alive that could be found, not after the tornado, so the state buried the old man and put the farm up for sale. It had been for sale for a long time, before Timmy’s family bought it at an auction. No one else bid on it. Some of the old people around there said that it was haunted, but it was like a new house, and just what they needed, so they bought it.

After living there a while they soon learned that the house wasn't haunted after all and they just loved it and the countryside. The only thing that Timmy’s mother didn’t like about it was the name of the road it was on, “Blood Road!” Otherwise she said she just loved the farm.

She wanted the state or county to change the name of the road but they said that there was too much history that would be lost. The Indians had named it when it was just a trail through the woods and forest, way back when pioneers use to use it as a trail to travel north.

Timmy didn't want to think about his mothers name issue any more, and shaking his head he shook his thoughts free of Blood Road and returned to concentrating on the hike and the fish he was going to catch in the Lake.

He and Ginger had just gotten to the bottom of the hill, when Timmy thought that he could see someone near the fence line at the edge of the forest. It was still so far away that he couldn’t be sure, but it sure looked like there was someone standing there.

Ginger wasn’t barking, or giving any sign of alarm or anything strange, but still; Timmy was sure that someone was standing next to the fence in the forest; could it be a neighbor maybe, or a Forest Ranger? He had heard that they had been looking for something back in the Forest, but he wasn't sure what.

He walked toward what he saw and as he got a little closer it became even harder for him to make out what it was; it did look like someone moving around there for a while, but now he wasn’t so sure!

All of a sudden Ginger took off running; barking and yelping as she went; right up to where the thing was! Timmy started to run after her, calling her, he was afraid that she would get them into trouble, especially if it was a Forest Ranger. But as he got closer he saw what it was! It was nothing more then a big sign! A sign warning people not to enter after dark because they could get lost, it had been put there by the State Forest Department!

There was an old gate there too; and a path leading into the forest, with a sign with an arrow pointing down the path that said, “Lake, this way.” That is what he had seen. He had seen the sign and just in back of the sign, but a little higher up, was the arrow!

But what was Ginger so excited about? “A rabbit, maybe?” He called to her and she came bounding back, but instead of coming directly to him, she went past him and stopped. She was looking at the hill that they had just come over, she barked, once, and then she just stood there, staring at the hill! "What is it girl? Did you see something?" He asked.

Timmy didn’t see anything anywhere near the hill that she was looking at and Ginger had turned away and didn’t bark that way anymore, so he opened the gate and started down the path in the direction of the arrow that was pointing toward the lake, with Ginger trotting right beside him.

This is more like a big woods, than a forest, Timmy thought to himself as they walked along the path. He thought of a forest as having bigger trees. “I guess they call it a forest because of how big the woods actually are, huh girl!” He said to Ginger.

The path had a thick growth of poison ivy on both sides of it but Timmy hadn’t noticed it until all of a sudden, Ginger, stopped right in front of him, her nose in the air, sniffing excitedly.

He stumbled to get around her so that he wouldn’t trip right over her! That is when he noticed all of the poison ivy and shouted, “Ginger! Stay on the trail! You'll get that poison ivy all over your fur and I don’t want to catch poison ivy when I am petting you!”

He stooped down and tied a piece of rope that he had brought, for just such an occasion, to Gingers collar. And started to lead her on down the path, when, once again, she tried to lunge ahead, pulling on the rope until she was wheezing and coughing and started to choke. Then she stopped dead again! Right in her tracks, growling and barking this time! What in the world! Timmy thought. “What is it girl? What do you see?” Suddenly he was a little frightened, as the hair on Ginger’s neck stood up, he tried to keep her close to ease his fright and looked hard to see what it was that she was looking at. And then he saw something move! It was a small gray leathery looking creature, with what looked like big pointy ears and buggy yellow eyes. It looked right at him, peeking through the bushes and then, in a flash it was gone! But not before it sent a shiver down his backbone like he had not experienced in a long time.

“What was that girl? He said. Where did it go so fast! Man! He could feel sudden fright go through him, tingling up his spine, as asked,” What do you think Ginger?” … Somehow speaking out load to her made him feel at ease.

But Ginger wasn’t paying any attention to him. She was pulling at the rope with all her might to get free to chase whatever that was! She wasn’t frightened at all but seemed to be looking for a good fight.

The thing looked like it was about three feet tall and thick skinned, wrinkled and gray, like something from a monster movie or fairytale he thought at first, but he knew better than that! It must have been the shadows and the bushes that made it look so weird! There was no one else with him except Ginger; no one else saw what he had seen. No one to get an opinion from or agree or disagree with him! It had to be something else; some animal that he had never seen before perhaps; something that his father and Jay had never told him about. There was no other explanation! Not really.

He decided to continue toward the Lake and the fish after he had convinced himself that it was a wild animal of some kind. And he thought that now he had seen, at least, one animal that his father and Jay hadn't shown him. And besides, he hadn’t come this far just to turn back; and besides; what would they think of him if he didn’t go on to the lake and catch those fish after the stories that they tried to scare him with when he had camped out with them before.

Ginger had calmed down again anyway so he probably was right! It must have been his imagination and the shadows that made it look so weird! It could have been something else, a raccoon maybe? They had probably startled it. After all, if it was some kind of monster why did it run away?

As they continued to walk on he felt better about his decision and began to whistle, that helped him to settle down and it seemed to keep Ginger calmer too!

They had walked quite a long way along the path now and Timmy thought for sure that they ought to be getting closer to the lake. He was really looking forward to settling down near the water, eating the goodies that he had brought and for sure, he was going to get some fishing in too. So that he could bring some fish home and brag about how he and Ginger had found the lake. -- Except that all they had to do was follow the path and the arrows that showed him the way! The signs showed him how to stay on the right trail at every fork and turn that it made and they were leading him right to the lake! -- Someone had done a good job marking the trail!

They had just rounded a sharp bend in the trail and there, right in front of him, was the lake! It was beautiful! And there was a place to sit and eat, and he could fish there too! Just like he had imagined!

Timmy tied Ginger to a stump at the edge of the water, just in case she wanted to wander off or take off after something. He didn’t want to have to leave the path to go and hunt for her. - Not after the raccoon scare! - That was too much! He didn’t want to go through that again! Besides, he felt much safer with her by his side.

He took off the back pack and dug out the artificial fishing bait and line, made a rig by tying the line to the end of his staff, "Jag,"

He set the bobber to what he thought would be a good depth to start with and flung out the line. - Then he leaned Jag against the stump and just as he started taking out the goodies and Gingers dog food out of the backpack, the bobber went down with a “Plunk; Plop!”

“We got one!” He shouted, dropping his sandwich on the ground, “Ginger scrambled and immediately gobbled it up!” as He tried, desperately, to grab the fishing line! “We got one! I got the line.” he hollered again, as though that would slow the fish down!

All in all, Timmy caught fifteen fish, but he had resolved only to keep the biggest four. He kept trading them off, as he kept catching bigger ones. He had gotten a small break and did get to eat some of the snacks that he had brought with him; but Ginger had gotten the sandwich and it was time to start back home anyway!

So he pulled in the last fish and measured it against the four that he had; it was smaller than any of the others so he let it go! ‘Get you next time;” He said, as he packed up the backpack and untied Gingers rope from the stump.

Ginger seemed to sense that the rope was loose, because no sooner than Timmy had untied the knot, than she jerked the rope and she wildly ran off, yelping and barking, back up the trail that they had come down earlier! Timmy could hear her barking as she moved off into the distance. She sounded like she was still on the trail!

Timmy threw on the backpack, grabbed the fish and tied them to his backpack and then he grabbed Jag and took off back up the trail after her, calling to her harshly! Ginger! – Ginger - Come back here! You get back here! - Get back here now!

He knew that she had stopped, because her barking was not fading away anymore, as it was before when she was running…. Perhaps she had treed something or the rope was caught on a snag and was holding her back!

Just as Timmy passed the bend in the trail, he saw her! Just standing there - barking wildly! - She wasn’t looking up at any tree! - She hadn’t treed anything! She was looking straight ahead, - Straight ahead at a man. - An old man at that; and he looked petrified! - Like he had been caught at something that he shouldn’t’ have been doing! - And He just stood there, terrified, afraid to move!

“Ginger!” Timmy said. - “Come here! - Come here right now!”

As Timmy got closer to the old man, he could see that he was dressed in very old dirty, messy, cloths and had a grubby, patchy looking beard; His lower jaw was all protruding and jutted out and something slimy was running out of his mouth; like he was chewing on tobacco or something, with no control over the juices or the saliva - or he had bitten his tongue in fear of Ginger! - Hope not! he thought.

The old man looked and smelled like he hadn’t had a bath or cleaned up in a very long time; He smelled like an old bear’s den or something. … Timmy’s Dad had shown them one once. … It smelled awful!

“Zat your dog?” The old man said, in kind of an unsure but demanding voice; motioning toward Ginger.

“Yes!” Timmy answered, nervously; holding Jag with both hands as if to ward off an assailant with a karate stick. - He could hardly understand the old man’s muttering thru the saliva running out of his mouth. - It was if he didn’t know how to speak English good, or that he had never learned how. … Perhaps he had never even gone to school, or he had left school at a very early age; sometimes they did that in back the country; Timmy just knew that he couldn’t understand him very well.

“She doesn’t usually run up to people like this!” Timmy said of Ginger. “She got away from me when I untied her from the stump back there at the lake!" Timmy motioned back to where they had come from. "I’m sorry she scared you!” The old man looked annoyed, as Timmy picked up Gingers rope and pulled her closer to him.

“Fig’ger’ed as much!” The old man said. “She made me nervous tis’all! Jump’en at me like that; … Made me angry some too!” He said, eyeing Timmy.

"Been fishin heh? See ya got someth’ng!" He pointed at the fish! What ya got in that bag? He said, as he pointed an ugly finger and his eyes shifted toward the back pack.

Timmy saw that he only had three fingers on his big, hairy hand. In fact he only had three fingers on both of his hands! With long, un-kept, funny looking, dirty, finger nails.

"Yeah; I caught fifteen real nice ones in all, but I only kept the four biggest ones to take home!" Timmy said, to the man; ignoring his question about the back pack.

 "Home, where’s home? You from around here?" the old man asked, as if Timmy might be camping in the state forest. - He was still dripping and drooling, saliva or something from his mouth, looking a little nervous at the sound of home and Gingers constant low growl, and looking curiously at "Jag" in Timmy’s hands and back pack that he had his stash in.

"Yes! I live on that old farm that the tornado wiped out a few years ago! The one that was rebuilt! My folks bought it at auction!"- All the time the old man kept looking at Timmy’s fish and eyeing his back pack, then back at the staff and then again at Ginger, who was continually, sucking in air and growling in a very low voice. “Gingeeer!” Timmy said softly, “Be still now!”

The old man flinched a little when Timmy said, “Gingeeer!” Timmy could tell that he was on his guard and very nervous!

"Yep! I know that place! - Use'ta go there now and then with ma brother. The people liv’ed there would offer up food fer, me and ma brother sometimes! They’d put it there in the orchard in a bucket sometimes; Up there by the old farm house. We’d fetch it when we’d kno’ed it wes there!” -  "Ginger kept growling in a low voice!" but Timmy held her tight next to him. - The old man still looked nervous, like he wanted something, "Maybe the fish? No! He's not getting my fish!" he thought, or perhaps it was his back pack.  "The old man moved a little and Ginger growled low from her chest again."

"She wouldn’t hurt anyone unless they tried to hurt me!” Timmy said about Ginger, "as though he wanted the old man to think that Ginger could be fierce if he would let her."

“Wha’cha use that pole fer? …  Fishin?” The old man asked, looking troubled about how Timmy was holding Jag, and looking carefully at the pole.

“Oh, this! … No, not so much fishin -I use it for hiking! It’s my hiking staff! - Sometimes I use it to keep other dogs away from Ginger, or to poke at things! It works well too! And I’m pretty good with it!” Timmy answered, taking a tighter grip on the staff.

Timmy thought that the old man was very strange! “What happened to your hands, where's your fingers?” Timmy asked him. Trying to sound interested in learning more about him, friendly, innocent and curious at the same time, - then quickly, wishing that he hadn’t asked at all!

“Born that way!” The old man said. "My brother was too! - Darndest thing! - Easy to spot ya'know! … Them three fingers! - Sometimes they’s hard to work wdith too! - We was twins … me brothers not with me now; “E’ Liv’s som’wher else! Ya mite say Es undergrund, ya mite! Te He he…I visit with hem now and then. Take em stuff! Mom named me Fetcher, bless eR! And me brother, is names Digger….  E digs tunnels som'wher and I fetches stuff fer em an E takes in the tunnels wit-em!  He he! I takes him all kinds er stuff, - wha evr E want’s ya know … E’s me brother, Tee, he, haw, ne!

His laugh was a low, sinister, eerie, chuckle and Timmy didn't like it at all. It made him feel uneasy and he kept up his guard. He felt that the old man knew it too! - He was standing where the trail was very narrow and he was blocking almost the entire path because of all of the heavy bushes; real thick on both sides leaving only a narrow way to get past and he was standing right in the middle of it.

“What’s yer name yong’un? - Eh?” he asked; - His dark eyes went darker, as if Timmy had hit a sore spot, asking about the fingers. “Lots’a folk’s gets lost bak up ear this time o’year! You shud’t  be bak ear by your’sef  ya’know! Taint real saf! - Did ya find anything near the lake that doesn’t belong to ya? Sompin old maybe? - What’s in the bag -  wha’cha got there?”

He reached out and Ginger growled and he pulled his grungy hand back and backed away. - Ginger, growled again and her hair stiffened and was standing on end, all bristled up, up and down her spine. -  Timmy could tell that she didn’t like the old man and neither did he.

“Your folks know you’re back ere?” He asked.

“Oh yes!” Timmy answered. … They might by now, but he didn't think that they did, - not really! …  “Yes they do! And I really best be going now or they'll be out looking for me and I’ll really get into trouble! - I was supposed to have been back already, but the fishing was so good that I lost track of time!” he said, smiling a little to ease the tension some.

He didn't want to tell the old man his name so he acted as though he hadn't heard the question.

“Los track o time eh? Do that meself sometimes! … Loses track of time I mean!” the old man said, as he chuckled, with his funny, snaggletooth, grin and he crowded the trail a little more so that it wouldn’t be easy to get past..

“Timmy didn’t like it! Not one bit! He was getting an odd feeling about this strange old man. … It was as though he was scheming, thinking of a way to get Timmy’s fish or something. … He couldn’t figure it out, but he knew that it wasn’t right! … What was the old man after? … He was after something! ... That was for sure! … But what was it? Timmy could feel it. … And it seemed as though Ginger could sense it too!”

 “If ya wan’na foller me, I know a short cut through the woods, that would get you back sooner! - Keep ya outa trouble wit your folks. - Take ya rite in’ter the orchard, it will; me brother en me wud take it all the time!” The old man said, “I know lots bo'oute all kinds o’things back in the wood that I cude show ya too! Yes sir! kan't take no chances on yer geten lost ya know! That short cut be gud fer ya! - Ya cud use it any time!" he said, as he showed his grimy teeth again, with an eveil smirk in his grin this time.

Was he aware of what he looked like? - How truly terrifying he was? Just being near him was making Timmy’s spine tingle. - What kind of kid would follow him in his right mind?

Timmy had heard that there were caves and stuff back there in the forest. From the feelings that were churning up from his stomach making his chest all tight and shaky, he just knew that the old man might be trying to lour him back there and throw him in a cave or a sink hole, so he could hurt him or do something horrible to him. Maybe hold him for ransom or something – or worst!

“No thanks!” Timmy said, the chills easing a little. … "The signs on the arrows show me the way and I remember pretty well, the trail back! - We will be all right! - It’ll be quick enough! … I'll just follow the signs!”

The old man made a slight move, shifting in Timmy’s direction! Ginger,

Snarled loudly, her lips curled up and she showed her teeth, her hair bristled on her back and she crouched down a little - shifting her legs and stiffening up; she growled again and the old man looked terrified, and went still. It was as if he could feel the sudden wrath that was in the air around Ginger.

Timmy could sense by his reaction that he hadn't liked the answer that he had given him about the signs showing him the way back, and he most certainly didn't like Ginger's snarl!

"We'll go back the same way that we came! Thanks anyway!" Timmy said again, getting his courage up, after seeing the look on the old man’s face after Gingers reaction to him.

The old man made another move toward Timmy, - Ginger lunged forward but this time he flinched, staggered back, and started slapping at something flying in his face! - Something that was flashing and flaring viciously, right into the old man’s eyes. Furiously jabbing at his huge nose, lunging at him and forcing him back! - Back, away from Timmy and Ginger! Out of the way.… It looked like a large humming bird or a giant bee, or a large insect of some kind. … It was moving so fast!

The old man jumped back again; and then he “Snarled and Howled!" a terrible Yowling sound! - And then he leapt off the trail and ran off quickly into the woods, “Howling and wailing loudly,” crashing through the brush; grasping his face as if something had been jammed up his nose, as he ran, “Still yowling!” out of sight thru the thick brush and trees!

Timmy didn’t need a second chance! He shouted to Ginger, “Let’s go girl! Let’s get out of here!” Chills of flight, full of adrenaline and over whelming any fear of the old man, were running wild on Timmy’s back as he hollered at Ginger and they scrambled off running down the trail!

They ran, and ran, as fast as they could; Back thru the woods and the poison ivy. - They ran across the meadow and up to the top of the hill, before they even thought of resting! Timmy stopped there and with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily, he praised Ginger for her obedience and then sat down, looking back towards the forest, watching!

They sat there for a while, gasping breathlessly, on top of the hill, among a small patch of wild flowers, the adrenaline was gone; replaced by jangled nerves, but they were at ease now, out of breath! - Looking back to make sure that they weren’t followed! … Nothing! … Nothing was as scary, as that had been!

Timmy was relieved to get out of the forest! And as they as they sat there resting, catching their breath, He was sure that he saw the humming bird again, sparking and flashing, just off a little ways in the distance, feeding on the nectar from wild flowers. He had the feeling that it was the same one, and that for some reason, it was following them and he had this overwhelming feeling, that whatever it was, it didn't like the old man either and it was their friend!

They still had to go down the other side of the hill and through the cornfield again but Timmy couldn't recognize where they had come out of the cornfield earlier! He wasn't too thrilled about the thought of getting lost or even going back through the corn again! He knew that they had to, but he just felt uneasy about it.

This time he would keep the rope on Ginger and make her stay close; because if he heard any other rustling through the corn, he would know that it had to be something else, not her running lose around the cornfield.

He took the old knife out of the backpack. - He was going to keep it at the ready, just in case, all the way home!

He made sure that the rope was tied tight around Ginger's collar and they started down the hill to the cornfield. When they got to the edge of the field, Timmy was still not sure, which way to go. So he decided to let Ginger take the lead! He gave her a little slack on the rope and said," Let's go girl! Let's go home!" And Ginger started off, leading them into the corn!

They hadn't gone very far when Timmy felt that something was following them! He was getting that feeling again, the one where when you think about something not being right in the shadows you get the chills. That was what was happening now. He was having that feeling again. He was sure that he had heard something else rustling the corn behind them! He stopped and shushed Ginger quickly, listening! Whatever it was, it had stopped too! Not exactly at the same time, but it did stop! And now he knew for sure, that something else was in the corn with them … And that it was following them!

Both, he and Ginger turned toward the sound! They both had heard it! There was something; He was sure there was, as he looked hard into the corn where the sound had come from.

There! - He saw it! It was trying to hide itself behind the corn stalks! It was that same creature that they had seen earlier, in the woods at the very beginning of the trail. The one that, he had talked himself into thinking was a raccoon or something!

Well it wasn't a raccoon! It was the same Gray, leathery, creature with pointed ears and buggy eyes that they had seen in the woods. He had never seen anything like it before. It was about three feet tall and it stood upright! Stretching and peering at them; it didn’t look like a furry creature this time, it looked like it had on an old shaggy, dirty, grubby gray robe!

Timmy picked up a rock and flung it at the creature and in a flurry of commotion and anxiety; it turned and fled away, “Hooting and squealing franticly!” knocking corn stalks aside, as it ran back through the corn toward the hill and the forest that held the old man!

Then Timmy saw something else too! It was very evident this time! It was that little bright blurry thing that looked a little like a humming bird! It was flashing brightly and pecking at the things head just like it had done to the old man! He knew for sure now! Whatever that little flying thing was, it was furious but he felt that it was their friend!

Timmy and Ginger didn't wait any longer. They tore off running again as fast as they could. Crashing past and bashing down rows of unfortunate cornstalks down as they ran! They ran through the corn, up the edge of the alfalfa field and zipped across to the orchard and ran through the apple trees like the devil himself was after them! And maybe he was, Timmy thought, as they reached sight of the house and slowed down again, all out of breathe and gasping for air!

Timmy stopped, and leaned back against an apple tree and put his hands on his knees, gasping deeply; trying to catch his breath, with the fish still dangling from the ties on the backpack and Ginger flopped down, panting beside him, her tongue flapped out of the edge of her mouth, intensely dripping perspiration! He was glad to be home! Home and free of the fears that had been pushing them!

The little flashy blurry thing zipped around his head. Squeaking and popping, as little splashes of color were bouncing all around it. Than started soaring from tree to tree and it looked like it was feeding on the nectar from the flowers of the apple trees, as Timmy and Ginger slowly finished the walk up to the house.

When they got to the house he put Jag and the backpack in a corner and the fish in some ice water. Hopefully for Jay to clean! Ginger started lapping up water that he put down for her and then found a cool spot and flopped down to rest while Timmy splashed water on his face and dried off on a towel before heading for a place to unwind and rest before he was questioned about where he had caught the fish.

That was an adventure that he would never forget! It made the bond between Ginger and him stronger than ever.

The day after the hike to the lake and long after Jay had cleaned the fish for him he finely told his father and Jay about the old man that had stopped him on the trail on his way home from the lake; he told them about the little creature and what had happened in the corn.

Jay was in awe just listening to him but his father just made little of the matter, as though, to let them think that there wasn't anything to be concerned about. He said that the old man was just being protective of what he felt was his. "The State forest …! Timmy thought. … That belonged to everyone in the State! But he let his father have his way and just resolved not to push it and just decided; never to go back there again without an adult! He shared that thought with Jay and he agreed! Neither of them would go back there without Dad!

The very next day while Timmy and Jay were cleaning the barn, a State Forestry truck pulled up and Dad went out to the truck, leaned on the driver’s door and they could see that he was talking to the Forest Ranger with profound concern.

Later, his Dad said, that he had contacted them after thinking about it, just to check out Timmy's story because of some of the old rumors involving the forest. … He still thought that there wasn't much to be concerned about, but after all, there had been stories of people coming up missing back there a while back; especially little children being lost by families on picnics in the forest and such!

The ranger had stopped to let Dad know that the gate to the trail that led to the lake had been locked and posted, "Entrance by permit only," to warn people not to enter the forest until the department had reassurances that there was no threat of danger. And the Ranger had also asked? "Oh! By the way, does your son Timmy have a fishing license? He has to have a fishing license if he is twelve years old!" and he was laughing to himself as he remembered, He told him that I was only seven, - Or nine and a half going on ten! His father had said that both he and the Ranger had a good laugh.

That all had happened some time ago, so Timmy started thinking about his tenth birthday tomorrow and the fun he thought he would have, wishing it was already here, as he headed on out to the grass that he still had to trim in the orchard.

Jay had finished all of his mowing chores and now he was busy capturing insects for a Boy Scout merit badge that he was working on. He had already caught some, but still needed several more to finish the collection requirement.

Jay’s job was to cut the grass as close as he could, to the trees, with the Gas power mower, so that there was as little grass as possible left for Timmy to trim by hand.

He had to mow all of the other grass too, and it was a pretty big yard! It seemed as though it took him hours to cut it. He had started very early that morning and had just finished before Timmy came outside. “He knew that he wouldn’t be in the shade on the lawn mower and wanted to get the mowing done before the sun got to hot!”

Timmy knew that he was not to be working near the power mower while Jay was cutting grass. Something might get caught in the mower blades or it could hit and fling things thru the air really hard. "It was for safety and Timmy's own good and he knew it!" "He kept Ginger clear of the mower too! It was too dangerous to take chances!

Timmy had been watching Jay chase some of the insects; the very big ones that were making that sharp shrilling noise. He had been catching them while Timmy was busy trimming the grass around the apple trees, and he looked like he was having a great time; even though it was so hot.

Jay had cut the grass as close to the trees as he could with the mower so that Timmy wouldn't have to trim and cut too much with the Sickle. But he couldn't get real close to some of the trees because of the low hanging branches. Some of the branches were very heavy with fruit and the mower could damage the crop.

Timmy really appreciated Jay mowing close too! Because he knew Jay knew that, that old Sickle was not the easiest tool to master. But Timmy liked using it because it was kept sharp and cut the grass quite easily. You just had to be careful using it when people or animals were around.

He pretended, when he was swinging that sickle, that he was cutting his way through thick Jungles and fighting back wild animals while on a Safari, or on a Jungle Island somewhere!

Jay asked him once, “What in the world are you doing?” Timmy told him, "Makes the work go faster and it's easier to do. I make a game out of my work if I can!”

Jay had already put a jar of some of the different kinds of insects in a large box in the Barn; Timmy wondered what they were but didn't question him, because he knew that Jay was working hard to finish that Merit badge. He knew that Jay would tell him when the badge was completed.

Besides, now it was Timmy's turn at the grass in the Orchard now and he was in a rush to get it done and get out of the hot sun. "At least there was some shade under the trees, Jay hadn’t had any shade at all!" he thought, as he whacked away at the tall grasses.”

Timmy had been working hard and he was getting tired. He had been cutting the grass, for most of the morning now, all around and under most of the apple trees in the orchard. He only had a few left to do, but he wanted very much to rest, just a little.

He stopped in the shade of a large apple tree. It was one of the biggest and oldest trees in the orchard. It looked like it was a very healthy tree, and the prettiest tree in the orchard too, with lots of nice green leaves and big green apples, they would get lots of apples off of this tree. There was a lot of shade here too! When finished cutting the grass around just one side of the tree, he stopped to rest.

He was using the hand Sickle and even though it was sharp, it was still hard work. And the grass was unusually tall and tangled around this particular tree. “Maybe it just got more water then the rest or the soil was better here,” Timmy thought to himself. 

He only wanted a short rest, because he was determined to finish today. He didn’t want to have to be working out in the Orchard Tomorrow. Not Tomorrow! Because Tomorrow was his Birthday and he was going to be Ten years old tomorrow!

It was very hot, hard work to be doing on a very lazy day, and just before his Birthday too! Timmy's heart just wasn't into it. Even when he had tried to make a game out of it, swinging the sickle at those tall weeds, he couldn't make it fun. It was still hard work!

He laid down in the shade under the nice green tree and called to Ginger!” She was sniffing franticly nearby.” Timmy had been watching her rushing about, running from one spot to the next, whipping her tail back and forth, keeping her nose into the grass, as though she was tracking something and trying hard to catch up to it.

Timmy couldn't see anything that she was chasing. He thought it might be a field mouse trail. But whatever it was. It was gone and he wanted her to quit running around and rests with him awhile.

He rolled over and looked up at the sky and the puffy white clouds moving lazily along. “Come on, Ginger, he called!”

Ginger came and lay down beside him, "Good Girl! Good Dog! “He ruffled her hair up and cuffed her a little bit”, and said, “Isn't this the life girl, isn’t this great?" as he snuggled close to her and laid his head on her, soft, warm fur, and watched the clouds changing shapes and floating overhead.

In the rest of the orchard the grass was rusty brown, and so dry that it crunch if he lay down or rolled over on it. But the grass was very lush and green here. “Very unusual compared to the rest of the orchard! It smelled good. Like fresh hay!” he thought, as he lay there and plucked at Ginger.

He had just moved a little and felt something hard under his hip, it was uncomfortable, and he thought that it was a root or something. So he nudged over a little to get off of whatever it was, and looked up at the apples growing on the tree. Then he shut one eye and spied on the clouds through the leaves, imagining all different kinds of animals and insects from the shapes of the clouds. "There could be lots of big apples this year," he said to Ginger, thinking of the whole orchard as he lay there.” But he couldn't quite understand why this one tree was doing so much better then all of the rest. 

There was definitely something under the grass where he was laying. It felt hard in his back and under part of his hip. He gently moved over so that he wouldn't disturb Ginger. Then he reached back, where the lump was, and felt a stick. "It's a stick," he said. "It’s stuck under the grass and stuff." He reached further back and dug at it with his fingers. "It’s a big one!" he said out loud, as his fingers wrapped around the stick.

He sat up and Ginger moved over a bit, “I'll have to get that out of there or the mower might get caught on it.” He said to himself, as he moved over a bit, off the stick, and lay back down and looked up at the tree and the clouds again.

Timmy noticed that the tree had a big hole in it where a knot used to be. “I’ll tell Dad about the hole tomorrow. He’ll want to fill it up with tree putty, it will stop the branch from rotting, this is a good tree and he’ll want to save it!” he said to himself, as he went back to his thoughts of Tomorrow!

“Tomorrow is my birthday,” he thought to himself. "And I have to get this trimming done or I’ll have to do it on my birthday!”

Earlier he had told Jay that everyone must have forgotten that it was going to be his birthday tomorrow! Or at least that was the way it seemed to him; and he had been hinting about his birthday to everyone that would listen, too!

Jay had just given him an old Scout backpack, full of Boy Scout hiking and camping stuff, when he was on his way out to the orchard, to trim the grass. He had told Timmy that it was an early present; because he had somewhere he had to go tomorrow and that the backpack was all that he could afford and he knew that Timmy liked it! Even though it was used! Timmy had put the water jugs into the backpack so they would be easier to carry.

It seemed that no one ever had much money at Timmy’s house. “Mom and Dad do all they can with what they have,” Jay had said. And Timmy agreed with him.

The backpack was full of good stuff but Timmy's thoughts were beyond gifts, he had wanted to do something special on his birthday and was hoping that someone was planning something different.

Jay tried to help him out and by hollering and teasing out loud, now and then, ”Tomorrow is Timmy's Birthday!" But Mom and Dad let on like they didn’t hear him.

Yeah! Some day! Huh Timmy?" The Big 10,” and no party, Tim! Jay teased, as he gave him the backpack. "Just wait though! They haven't forgotten you Timmy". I know they haven't,”

Yeah! I bet!”’ Said Timmy, as he flung the backpack over his shoulder and went on out to the orchard with the Sickle.  

He kept thinking, That it would be so nice to do something special. “Like the family going to Big Fish Lake and inviting some friends.” A "Birthday," picnic maybe! He had hinted about that too, but there wasn't a clue that anyone in the family was even aware that tomorrow should be something special or that they were planning anything.

Even though he had hinted to Jay that it would be nice to go to the lake! Jay had just gone on chasing grasshoppers and didn't say a word about the hint. Just like him too, he seemed to be more interested in catching insects then about his little brother’s birthday. ”Awww Gee Whiz!”

Timmy knew that some of what he was thinking really wasn’t true because Jay had told him, brothers are supposed to support each other and stick together at times like this and he knew, deep down, that Jay really cared!

He took a big breath and hollered………“Bbirrrthdaaay's…..Are speaccciihhhall!!,"

“And then he looked around to see it anyone had noticed.” But Jay had gone inside and there was no one else around.

"Puuee!" he said, as he flung the backpack on a low hanging tree branch in the orchard.

Timmy quit thinking about what had happened earlier and went back to concentrating on getting that big stick out of the grass and roots that were tangled around it, holding it tight. They seemed as though they were growing right into it and did not want to let it go!

“He tore and ripped at the weeds with his fingers and tried pulling harder on the on the stick but it he couldn’t get it free! It was held tight!”

“Hey! I know!” He said, "As he finally thought of the Scout knife that Jay had given him that was in the backpack; it was still in the pack hanging from the tree branch right there on the next tree!"

He could use the knife to cut the grass and roots away from the stick! That would get it free!

When Timmy got up to get the backpack," Ginger took this as her signal for freedom and she jumped up and started running and scampering all around again. She started back to franticly smelling everywhere, just as she was doing before."

“Timmy took down the backpack from the tree branch and started pulling all of the things out, looking for the knife.”

“Wow! He said; Jay gave me a whole lot of good stuff!” He pulled out a metal signal mirror, a large roll of string, some hooks, a folded piece of plastic with a space blanket wrapped in it, a small cooking kit with a metal drinking cup, a metal waterproof match holder with matches in it and "Yeah! Here's the Scout knife! “Wow! And it's sharp too!" he said.

Timmy saw that there was a whole lot more great stuff in the pack, like a fire starter kit and poncho and that it had a lot of other compartments with things in them, but all he wanted right now was the knife; so he could cut the roots and grass and get the stick out of there, so he could finish the trimming.

Timmy put all of the stuff back into the backpack. And laid the pack down and went to where the stick was and with two or three good strokes with that sharp knife and a couple of chops with the sickle, a little more pulling and tugging he had the stick free.

He wiped off the blade of the Scout knife, closed it, and put it into his pocket. Then he laid the Sickle on the backpack and started looking at the stick, picking at the grass that was stuck to it.

It was a real neat stick. Something like Jag, but more of a javelin, a rod or staff. It was like something that he had seen in some stories from Bible study at Church.

It was long and very smooth, “which surprised Timmy, For the amount of roots and grass that had tangled around it.” It had a large end and a small end. The small end did not quite come to a point, but almost! It had a knot or knob on it and it was still covered with grass and dirt on that end. The larger end was wavy and quite round at the top, and as Timmy rubbed the grass off and looked closer, he saw that there was, what looked like, a very faint image of a face a little way down on one side. “This is real keen!” he said to himself.

He rubbed on the image so that he could see if it really was there and he felt a strange sensation come over him and he began to get some of his energy back as he vigorously cleared away grass roots and rubbed away the dirt! “The stick did look like it had a face on it," he said to himself, "but it's not very clear.”

Just then Timmy saw what Ginger was chasing, “It was a grasshopper! A great big juicy Grasshopper! She was trying to snap it into her mouth!” Ginger faltered and went chasing another way! Timmy took the stick and without thinking, with one swift throw, he threw the stick swiftly through the air like a spear, at the grasshopper.          

It looked like the stick hit the grasshopper dead on. "Great shot!” Timmy thought and he felt pretty good about it. “At least that is one grasshopper that Jay won't put in his jar.”

“Score one for Timmy!” he said as he went over to get the stick and looked around to see if there were any other grasshoppers near by! The stick was real neat and Timmy liked it!

"I bet that knob was the part that hit the grasshopper," he thought as he looked for a smudge or something on the stick to identify the spot where the stick might have hit the grasshopper.

“He had thrown the stick as though it was a spear, pretending that he was, “Quanto!” But when it looked like he had actually hit the target, he, well! He was just a little bit proud of himself. After all, hadn't his real father said," that his family was part Indian, with some Chippewa blood in them. His Great, Great, grandfather was supposed to have been a Shaman Witch doctor in the Chippewa tribe. His father had shown him an picture of him once. He was old in the picture. He had on a headdress of a bears head with horns coming out of it and a bear tooth necklace. He was definitely an Indian! "Good shot Chippewa!" Timmy thought to himself.

His father told him that the reason that they made his middle name," Quanto," was because they should pass on something from their heritage. That was what the Q was for, Quanto; Timmy’s middle name and his Great Grandfathers as name well. There were lots of stories about his ancestors, mostly about spirits and other unbelievable things.

“He spent the next few minutes looking at the stick cleaning the dirt and grass off!” And as he pulled at the tangled grass, and rubbed off the dirt, he could see that the stick was really a rod or staff of some kind. “Perhaps whoever owned this land before us had lost it. They may have used it to herd sheep or something," he thought.

“Just then Timmy saw something flutter and hop!”

“It looked like the biggest grasshopper that he had ever seen!” It was moving fast! It made another pop! And then a flutter, as it crawled under a big dandelion leaf and into a large crack in the sod.

Timmy took a closer look and saw that the crack seemed to go very deep into the ground. It was partly hidden by Dandelion leaves and the tangled roots of the weeds and dry grass.

“Ginger was sniffing wildly and swinging her tail frantically near where the grasshopper had disappeared, putting her nose right down in the crack! Woofing and sniffing loudly!”

Timmy took the pointed end of the stick and quickly jammed it into the crack where the grasshopper had disappeared. No sooner had he jabbed the point of the stick into the crack, the ground around the stick shook and vibrated as the crack grew violently and heaved mightily as it tore the roots of the sod open and with a loud ripping and tearing of the grass and roots, "SWISH!" “A door popped open, with roots and grass tangles dangling and hanging from a large cellar like door where they were torn away from the ground, right there in the orchard!”

Timmy’s jaw dropped and he declared aloud "What in the? A root cellar!" cried Timmy. "Who would put a root cellar in an apple orchard?" he said, as though someone would answer his question!

“Ginger dashed past Timmy, heading for the opening, hitting him in the face with her tail and knocking the backpack and the sickle down into the cellar on her way; she rushed and scampered down some very old stairs into the shimmering darkness below.” “Timmy scrambled to grab her as he, hollered! Ginger! No!” than he heard her “Yelp!” “She’s after something!” he said, as he scrambled around in his excitement trying to get a better look , just as her tail went out of sight down the stairs into the dark cellar.

Timmy had also heard the “Thump! Clang! Clang! Thump! Of the backpack and sickle as they bounced down the stairs and with a loud “Thud!” the backpack hit the bottom! And then the "Clang! Cling! Squish!" of the sickle, as it bounced down the stairs!

Ginger was right behind it! Franticly bounding down the stairs right behind the backpack, … she sounded as though she was trying to catch something!

And then, suddenly, Timmy heard the sound of old wood crashing and breaking, and a loud, "Yelp!”, then a, “Whine!”, from Ginger below. Then everything went still and quite. Timmy listened! He couldn't hear anything from below! Not a sound! “And then he heard Ginger again. She was whining and, whimpering and she sounded, as though she was in a lot of pain!

Timmy felt that he knew what had happened. The wood of the stairs was very old and most likely rotten. It must have broken under her weight and now she was lying down below, hurt!”

He would have to get her out somehow. He would have to go down there very carefully and get her and the backpack! All of his thoughts started going in circles. He was full of questions about the cellar and concerns about Ginger! How badly was she hurt? Should he get help or would the door close while he was gone? Why would anybody put a root cellar out here in the orchard anyway? And why did she rush past him so quickly? What was she after that would cause her to be so careless? She had never disobeyed him like this before. Could something be in the root cellar that would cause her to behave in such a way?

"The staff began to glow in Timmy’s hand, a low, pulsing glow; just a little on one end," but he didn't notice. He was to busy looking down into the opening. Straining his eyes, trying to see Ginger and the bottom! The darkness in the opening seemed to shimmer as he peered into it! Like shimmering heat waves on a hot day; Or like the ripples on the surface of a lake or pond, when you couldn’t see the bottom, even in clear, shallow water!” He was not able to see beyond the opening!” He could only hear Ginger as she whined from below!”

Chapter two ©

If you help me, I will help you!

As Timmy peered into the shimmering darkness, listening to Gingers whine, he picked up the stick and plunged one end into the hole and banged it against the first few steps just below in the darkness. The steps were firm under the blows of the stick and Timmy stopped hitting them and rested the staff on the rail leading down into the cellar, and then he just sat there, listening, thinking and wondering what to do next.

Suddenly, Timmy heard a soft whisper, "If you will help me, I will help you!" The soft, friendly, whispering, voice said.

It came from the cellar, right near the place where the end of the staff was resting, on the railing.

Once again the voice came, and very clearly it said,” If you will help me, I will help you!"

"What?" Timmy said, "As he pulled back away from the opening."

"If you will help me”; Said the voice. "I will help you!"

"Help, what do you mean, help? Who are you? Where are you? Who do I help? What do I have to do?" Timmy asked?

“I will help you get your animal! I will help you get the animal you called Ginger." Hold on to me tight and I will lead the way."

"Who is talking to me? Who are you? And where do I hold?” asked Timmy?

“I am Trebla.” The voice said, “I am the staff in your hand."

Timmy thought for a moment that the voice could be coming from the image on the staff or perhaps someone was in the darkness near the opening, speaking to him. But he couldn’t see anyone there! Not in the darkness!

“He looked at where the staff had entered the hole; the staff looked as though it was under the surface of rippling water but with no water there, just the image, distorted and blurry!” 

“He pulled the staff out of the hole and looked at the image near the end. It was glowing and much clearer then before and indeed it was an old man’s face!”

“Timmy felt foolish as he asked the face if it was what was talking to him? “Are you the one who is talking to me?” He Asked.

He wanted to see if the voice would still come from the hole but there was no response.

“This is crazy,” he thought, and he stuck the stick back into the opening again, only further down this time, and started tapping it against the opening again.

“Ginger was still whining!” Timmy could hear her from somewhere below, and he wanted to help her, but how?

Then, as if someone was reading his thoughts, the voice came back," If you will help me, I will help you. And indeed, you can hear me because you are the Finder of the staff; if you will help me, I will help you.”

 “How can you talk?” Timmy demanded. “What do you mean, I am the finder?” I want my dog! Are you down there with my dog? …Ginger! Timmy called…"Ginger!” And she whined and let out a little bark As if she wanted to come, but couldn’t.

“No! I am not with the dog called Ginger” The voice replied, "But, if you will help me, I will help you!"

"How will you help me get Ginger when I can’t even see you? And just how am supposed to help you if I can’t see you? I don’t know who you are. How can I trust you if I don’t know who you are?” Timmy asked again. "Hold on to me tight and I will lead the way," the voice said from the darkness, its face glowing out of the dark on the staff, “I am the staff! Hold on to me!”

Timmy gripped the staff with both hands and held onto it tightly. The end of the staff was still in the hole and as he grabbed onto it he felt a power in his grip that was not coming from him, a power  that was making him as part of the staff as one.

He felt a tug as his feet left the ground and was bouncing lightly on the stairs as the staff gently pulled him down the steps into the cellar. He could hear Ginger whine with anxiety, but he was not able to utter a word, powerless and his voice silenced as he was moved toward her, his body moving slowly downward through the shimmering void at the opening of the door.

"Timmy could just barely see in the darkness, but the staff kept gently pulling him slowly downward, deeper into the abyss, all he could see was the glowing face leading the way."

"Suddenly, there were no stairs!” Timmy’s feet were hanging in midair!" "What happened?” Timmy yelled, as he squeezed onto the staff even harder as it  hung in the air and moved downward thru the darkness.

The voice from the staff was urgent in its reply! As it quickly said, "Be still, I will help you, do not make loud noises, hold on to me, do not be afraid, do not scream and I will soon release you!"

But the warning came too late, Timmy had already screamed.

There was a big “Thud!”, And a loud, “Crash!” over his head. “What was that?" Timmy said, in a loud startled voice.

He looked up and saw that the door had closed!  "Oh, No!” Timmy cried.

But, it was too late! The door had closed tight, and there was no light from above at all, not even a crack of light from the outside. It was if there was never a door at all!

"What happened?" he asked. “What will we do now? What do I call you? Do I call you Trebla? I want to get Ginger out of here-Now! How do I do that?” Once again, Timmy’s head was swimming full of questions.

Timmy hadn't realized that his feet were still not touching anything. He was dangling from the staff, still moving downward into the darkness!

Should he have tried to get Ginger another way?

He could hear Ginger again-She sounded much closer now.

Suddenly his feet hit something. It was the stairway again! He had been carried across the gap in the broken stairs by the staff to the last few stairs that were not broken. “He could see Ginger just below him now.”

There was a soft glowing light coming from a tunnel on the left side of the cellar away from the stairs. Timmy knew immediately that this was not just a root cellar at all! It was the entrance to a cave or tunnel of some kind- And the glow was coming from that entrance.

Then Timmy’s thoughts returned to the voice and the staff and he began to ask demanding questions of it, firing one after another at the voice.

"How do we get out of here? What kind of place is this? Who is going to help me with Ginger? And just who am I talking to?" “Show yourself!”  He insisted.

"I will help you if you will help me!" was the answer. “I am the voice of Eitra from the way of Naej. You are addressing me! Etra! I am the helpmate of the staff, Trebla! Trebla hears and obeys but has no voice! I am the voice!"

 The face on the staff grew brighter than ever, and Timmy saw for the first time a clear image of an old man on the staff; the image was alive-Moving as it talked. And Timmy knew that the image was Trebla! But it was not Trebla’s voice. The voice was called Eitra! “What did this mean?” He wondered? The old man’s face could be seen more clearly now. He had deep wrinkles, and a long hair, and a beard, and his wise eyes glittered as he talked. He spoke in a soft reassuring voice and Timmy was attracted to it, as though it had a spell over him-as though he had known this man before!

“I can help!" Trebla said, "But if you had not of screamed, the help would have been easy! Now-I am not so certain!"

“But if you promise to help me, Quanto; then I will help you! But know that I can talk only when I am summoned, or I am being addressed, as now; when there is no other way-I will help you find the way!”

Timmy was confused. Eitra, was the voice from the staff of Trebla, and can only talk when Eitra is needed or is summoned, when there is no other way- yet Trebla will help me find the way when it is lost. His mind was going in circles.

"How can you show me or tell me what to do, if you can’t talk to me?"

"What do I call you?" asked the staff."

“My name is Timothy Quanto Mac Kinzie," said Timmy,"

"Well Timothy! Said the voice of Eitra, if there is a way and you are able and can find it, I will be with you but I will not help you with the way, and you will not need my help! But if there is a way that must be shown, and you are lost, then call me! I will always be with you as long as the staff is yours.”

"But the staff isn't mine”, said Timmy, "I found it in the orchard! It belongs to someone else!"

"The staff and the Rings of Trebla was stolen by a Taker and lost long, long ago Timothy, said Eitra.

You are a finder! You are the owner of the staff until it is returned and it will obey you until another is chosen. You must not abandon Trebla-the staff, or give it to the care of another. If you do so, and it is in the care of another, I cannot help you, and I, Eitra, the voice, will be beholden to a finder of another time. You must care for Trebla!”

"Do you promise to protect and help Trebla?’ the voice of Eitra asked.

"Can you bring us back to the orchard?" Timmy said in return.

"Yes!" Etra answered. "I can get you back to the orchard. But it must be another way- the door at the crack in the sod is closed-sealed until another finder comes-perhaps with the Rings of Trebla. Eitra and I must be helped first! Then I will take you to the way back."

"But how do I know that you will keep your word?" Timmy asked.

“Because you are the finder”- the voice barked! You are the holder of the staff called Trebla! Eitra has told you! You will learn more! Eitra and a pixie from my world will teach you! You are wise Quanto, for a Toppling, you are very clever indeed! Did we not float? Did I not keep you from falling and I am bringing you to your animal, Ginger as you asked? You are the finder-and I will help you, if you will help me!"

“Alright. . . Ok!” Timmy said. “I promise I will help you! I will help you all that I can!”

“You will be able to help more than you realize, Timothy Q Mac Kinzie. You are Quanto-the ancestor of a great shaman. You will be able to help much! We thank you Timothy, Trebla, the staff, and I, Eitra the voice of Trebla.” “We thank you!” The voice said, again.

Timmy felt his feet hit something solid! It was the bottom at last! Now he could see how badly Ginger was hurt- he was glad that the staff had given him comfort with its words.

He was at the bottom of the steps and was about to ask about her, when Eitra said, “Here is your dog, the one you call Ginger.” "The staff mumbled something else softly but Timmy didn’t hear her as the glow from the face of Trebla got brighter!

Timmy could see a shadow under the steps. It was Ginger! She was there- there back under the steps-with the backpack and sickle! He could see the handle of the sickle sticking out of the rubble.

Ginger was right where she and the backpack had fallen when the stairs had given away under her weight. There were pieces of old broken steps and debris everywhere. Some of it was covered with foxfire, a fungus that grows on rotten wood and glows in the dark!

Timmy had read about it in a set of Jay’s research books, and oddly enough, they were called, “Foxfire books.” His Scout Master had loaned him the books for Merit badge research and Jay had also brought some Foxfire fungus, on rotten wood, home from a scout camping trip once-to show him how it glowed!

He thought that it was real neat! He had a great time throwing it thru the air; watching it glow as it sailed along-falling to the ground still glowing-with Ginger chasing it as it bounced around; and it was easy to find in the dark too.

"But it’s not so neat now is it Girl,” he said, “All this old foxfire wood falling on you!" He was talking to her as if she could understand every word that he was saying.

Ginger whined softly as he talked. It was as though she did understand what he was saying after all and that she knew that he wanted to help her; that he knew that she was hurt and was beckoning him with her whine to help her!

As Timmy worked his way back, to where Ginger’s whine was coming from, he pointed the staff with the light from the face of Trebla-so that he could work his way back through the tangle of broken wood and see best how to get to her.

He carefully crawled back in under the steps, on his hands and knees- there was rotten wood everywhere.

He tried hard not to bump or disturb anything-he was afraid that he might cause more wood and dirt to fall.

The voice of Eitra whispered, “Beware of the roots-do not touch Trebla to the roots!” But Timmy saw that there were no roots here and he continued crawling his way back to where Ginger was, guided by the light as he poked the staff and the face of Trebla ahead of him-toward Gingers whining.

Finely, Timmy was able to clearly see Ginger. She was covered with lumps of dirt and partially trapped under pieces of wood and piles of debris and sand. The sand was probably from around the edge of the door at the crack in the sod at the top of the steps, and had jarred loose and fell when the door had slammed shut after Timmy had yelled out.

Ginger looked a mess-but she was overcome by the sight of Timmy and struggled to get up to greet him. Lumps of dirt rolled off her coat as she squirmed to get free and Timmy told her to lie still. She promptly obeyed-but whined at his touch, as he reached her side and brushed away the pieces of wood and dirt.

Timmy could see that Ginger was hurt-but not as bad as he had first thought. The wood and dirt had her trapped and she appeared to have sprained her leg and was unable to free herself and get herself up. Timmy knew that it was her right hind leg that was hurt because as he removed some of the wood and tried to brush away the dirt off of it, she let out a very loud, “yelp!”

Trebla had warned against loud noises, and some more sand, dirt and small pieces of wood showered down on them when Ginger had yelped.

As before, immediately upon Gingers, “Yelp!” Trebla severely warned, in a hushed voice! “You must keep Ginger from making the loud sounds! All of above may fall!”

Timmy knew that Trebla was right! He immediately calmed Ginger by gently stroking and petting her, as he talked to her in a soft low voice. “Be quiet girl! We will be all right! We will get you out of here! Qui-et! He said!

Timmy knew that it would not be easy for her do what he had told her. But he also had the promise of Eitra, the voice of Trebla, that she would show them the way back to the orchard if he helped as he was asked.

Timmy tried to understand how he could be of help to Trebla-after all- he had found the staff and if it was lost- then-he had already helped, hadn’t he?

He was sorry now, that he had jabbed at the grasshopper. He hadn’t meant to open the door. And he did not understand how finding that old staff could lead to this. How did the staff get in the orchard in the first place? His head was full of thought.

”Trebla,”-Timmy said out loud to the staff, as he worked around Ginger and gathered his courage. “How does the staff work? Why am I called the finder and how am I supposed to help-I need you to help me with Ginger? She is hurt!” He said quickly to Trebla! He was asking one after another, his voice was trembling and desperate for answers!

The voice from Trebla said softly, as though it was trying to calm him, “I speak for Trebla-I am the helpmate. I am Eitra the voice from the staff called Trebla. Trebla has no voice without the rings!”

“As you are the finder of Trebla, there are many great powers from the staff that will be released to you as long as Trebla remains in your care. You are the finder of Trebla and are without the knowledge of magic! Only you can transfer these powers to Queen Naej of the kingdom, who also has the knowledge to use them! The powers from the staff must be given to Naej and only you can do that! You the finder; No one else! That is the help Naej needs from you! That is how you can help me and in turn I will help you!

“But how can I find Naej?" asked Timmy.

 “Trebla will lead the way to Naej!  Then Naej will help show the way to your world above! The way cannot be done without Naej!  You are the finder called Quanto, the one who found Trebla, who was lost for many years! Naej needs your help for the kingdom! Trebla was in the care of another and was lost and abandoned, than taken above where you are the finder!”

“Then there is the matter of the rings of Trebla.  Naej wants and needs your counsel and help on the matter of the rings!”

”I don’t know anything about any rings!” Timmy said with a voice of denial. “I did not find any rings!”

"I only found the staff! I thought it was a big stick!" … “What do you mean rings?

”Oh, Naej knows that you are not a finder of the rings Timothy!  Naej wants your counsel on the matter! Then we will see-Only then!”

“What about Ginger? … I am not going to go anywhere without my dog!”

“You must help Ginger to rest, Timmy. You know what to do. We are patient we will wait-Queen Naej, Trebla and myself, Eitra.”                

Timmy went back to gently petting and soothing Ginger while he continued brushing the dust and wood chips away. She licked his face as he worked. He wondered how he could help her leg. They needed each other now more than ever!

He thought for a moment! Would there be something in the backpack, something that he could use as a splint? He knew how to make a splint! He could try and see if it would help!

Timmy could not see very well in the dark! He thought that he knew where the backpack was but he could not reach it! It was behind Ginger in the dark. He squinted and strained his eyes to help him see in the dark and saw the outline of the backpack a little ways in front of him. Moving toward it, he crunched down low so that he would not hit any of the remaining steps, pulling Trebla with him to light the way.

Timmy kept seeing tiny little sparks of light way back under the stairs and wondered what they were coming from? They kept blinking on and off, like the way fireflies do. Is that what they are, he thought to himself, fireflies? How did they get down here he wondered.

Just then Ginger jumped and wined a little! Timmy had poked her in the side with the other end of Trebla.

Pay attention to what you are doing, Timmy said to himself! “I’m sorry girl,” he said!

Timmy had reached the backpack and pulled it out from under some more foxfire wood and dirt, swatted it a couple of times to knock the sand off and opened it up. He held Trebla near the pack so he could see what all was in the other pockets.

He found the plastic and space blanket right away, because they were so big! He laid the plastic and space blanket down on the ground and started putting the other things on the piece of plastic, one at a time so they wouldn’t get dirty or lost in the dark. He was pulling on the poncho when a flashlight fell out right in front of Trebla! “Wow! It’s a three cell, flashlight! This is great!” Timmy said out loud!

”What is a flashlight Timothy?” Trebla demanded!

“Here! I will show you!” Timmy said. And He turned it on! Then he flashed it on and off to show off the power of the beam!

 “Oh! My!” Trebla said. As Timmy shined the flashlight around the Cellar!

“Oh!” Said Trebla, astonished at the beam of light that the flashlight put out; “It must have great magical powers!” Timmy did not know what to make of Trebla’s comment, or how to respond to it! Did the staff think that the flashlight had magic powers?

“Sometimes magic comes in strange ways!” he answered, thinking that it might be good to allow Trebla to think that it did have magic powers-after all, some of his ancestors were Shamans

Timmy turned his attention back to tending to Ginger. He had turned the flashlight back to light inside the backpack and started sorting again. He reached in and felt around, and started pulling things out of the side pockets and he pulled out some Tea bags. “Tea-What is Tea doing in here? There!” he said. “I’ve found what I was looking for! Here is a Scout first aid kit: with some extra Scout neckerchiefs! I can make a splint-I can use some of the broken wood and the

Scout neckerchiefs and make a splint!  We are going to be ok girl!” he told Ginger; as he gathered some of the right size pieces of wood and started fitting them to Gingers leg. “The neckerchiefs are working just fine!” He said to her as he worked.

Soon Timmy had Ginger all bandaged up-She looked pretty good too, he thought.” And then he began looking back at the contents of the backpack that he had laid on the plastic. He made sure that he put them all safely back into the pack!

Timmy kept seeing those little flashes out of the corner of his eye, as he worked at getting the plastic out from under Ginger. He could not imagine what it was? Whatever it was it was way back in the corner under the stairs and he hoped that it would stay there. It wasn’t making any noise anymore! He had heard little, frantic sounding, snapping and buzzing before, but now, nothing! But he thought that it was very spooky, at the least!

He didn’t think that it was foxfire fungus flashing back there! Too bright and too much flicker for that! He said to himself. And then Trebla did not seem to be concerned, not in the least! He would ask Naej, the voice of Trebla, later. After he had some time to think and decide what to do next!

Now, more importantly, he was hungry and had found some trail mix in one of the pockets of the backpack. He popped a handful into his mouth and offered some to Ginger but she turned her head, as if to say, no thanks that is not for me! “What could I feed her?” Timmy thought to himself, as he rummaged through the pockets of the backpack some more.

He found two candy bars and some dried apples, but he knew that he was not supposed to give her chocolate; it is bad for dogs, he said to himself. So he tried the dried apple, and to his surprise, Ginger took them! And curling her lip in a funny twist, perhaps because of the slight sour taste, and with a gulp and a couple of chops of her teeth, she swallowed-licked her lips, and looked up for more. Timmy put a few more slices in front of her and went on about the business of sorting out their situation as she chewed away at her little stash of dried apple slices.

Timmy took the flashlight and started to shine it all around. He saw that the stairs were almost completely destroyed and that there was no indication that a door was ever present above.

He shined the light back to where he had seen the soft glow in the dark when he first touched the last steps and the floor of the cellar. He saw that he was right! There was a tunnel or cave leading in the direction where the glow had come from. Timmy turned the light off to see if the glow was still there. After a moment, Timmy's eyes adjusted to the darkness and the glow returned. It was not very bright and because of the greenish color, Timmy thought that it must have been coming from more foxfire fungus somewhere back in the tunnel.

A few more small flashes and some little pops came from behind Timmy and where the stairs used to be that startled him! Then another flash lit up the dark just as he and Ginger turned toward where the others had come from. And then again there was another little flicker from way back under the stairs. Then it went dark again, as though nothing had happened. Trebla still had shown no concern, just silence!

Then suddenly, as Timmy reached for the flashlight to shine it back there, he heard a small voice coming from the direction of the flash! Way back in under where the stairs had fallen! “Darn!” it said, -“Darn!”

He nervously took Trebla and the flashlight and crawled back into the dark corner on his hands and knees as before, shining the flashlight and poking with Trebla as he went!

He saw something wiggling! “Whatever it is, it is caught in a huge spider’s web!” he said. “And it’s the biggest spider’s web that I’ve ever seen!” He found himself talking to Trebla, but he continued on! “Where did a spider big enough to spin that web come from and where is it now?” Said Timmy; as he waved Trebla at the thing that was caught in the web and gave it a poke!

"Stop that!" A small shrill voice squealed, “Quit jabbing me with that thing!” with little sparks going everywhere! “That was how you almost killed me the first time! Stop poking with that thing or you'll hurt me! Just set me free! Get me out of this mess! I won't harm you!"

"How can you harm me,” Timmy said! "You're caught in a web!"

"I know that!" screamed the little voice-with more sparks flying. “Set me free! - Now! Before that spider comes back and I get eaten up or I will get angry!" She let fly a few wildly bouncing sparks, to show that she meant business! But the sparks just glanced off of the spider web and hit the ground! They weren't very impressive, because her little arms were caught tight and she couldn’t aim! "Darn! Darn! Darn!" she said, as she struggled to free herself. But the spider webs held her little arms tight and she couldn’t aim at all and the sparks were going everywhere, but hitting the web.

"What are you?" Timmy asked. "I have never seen anything like you before!"

"I am a pixie!" exclaimed the Pixie, a little calmer now-but not much. "And you have so, seen me before! Many times! Once you and your dog Ginger were in the forest and the three fingers toppling wanted to take you, like he had taken others before you. I chased him deep into the forest-snapping him with pixie dust! I put it into his nose and his eyes to hurt him and he ran into the forest howling!  You saw! Remember?”

“Then I kept Yaj, the taker, from harming you in the cornfield, when you were lost! And you …Timothy! ...You thought that I was a humming bird!”

“And just today you tried to kill me … like you tried to kill that grasshopper! … With that stick!

“You had better keep that stick handy for that spider if he comes back!” She said,” as she pointed viciously at Trebla.

Trebla responded almost immediately, "I am not a stick! Mind your tongue! … You! ...You! ... Pixie! Timmy could tell that Trebla did not like being called a stick!-Not at all!

“I know what you are!” said the Pixie. “You are Trebla, the mighty staff!” She said in a cynical voice, putting her little hands on her hips, as she went on to say, “But on top, you are still a stick! And you have no power, I know-because I tried to awaken you many times to help.  But here, below through the portal-the crack in the sod, you are Trebla, the staff! And you are held with great and esteem and respect for your powers! … Even by me! ... But without the rings of Trebla you no longer have a voice-Instead you use the voice of Naej! It was Naej who sent me to follow you, long ago! When the Takers stole you and the rings! … I am a helper! And … yes … I am a Pixie,-and a powerful one at that!”

“I know that the Topplings took you from the taker, who was, Nek, they took you during a storm! … Etra told me-” She said. … “And Nek hid from the Topplings; behind the Toppling pile, here in the cellar, left you unwatched there, against that wall…. She pointed, that is where they took you from!”

“That is when the Topplings took you and left you in the orchard, and that is when I was also trapped in the world above, following them … and unlike you, I was left with only some of my powers in the toppling world!  You were left with none. My task was to follow you and the taker, Nek! But Nek ran away, he was afraid of the topplings!”

“They left you there in the Orchard and I was powerless to help you as the roots covered over you. I could hear and feel your pain but I could only watch and wait! You were lost until Quanto helped you return through the portal of shimmering darkness-he jammed you into the crack in the sod and opened the portal!”

“I was sent from the beginning to find you and the rings, but the Topplings closed the door before I could return.… I may have been able to slip through the crack in the sod and returned to Naej except for this toppling called Timothy… he tried to kill me! … And I would have been killed too-if I had not pushed hard at the crack and popped through. Now look at me! Here, trapped in this web!”

“I will not be spider food!!” She sputtered! And a Great spark flew and split a rock! … “There!-That’s better!” She said; still bound by the web.-Timmy could feel her anger, but he was very relieved that she had calmed down a little bit when the rock split!

"I did not try and kill you … I thought you were something else! … Not a pixie!" Timmy said in a somewhat subdued voice-As he took notice of the split rock again.

“I’ve never seen you as a real pixie before!” He claimed. “Not before I got trapped down here!”

"Well I lived in your orchard, Timothy; And for a long, long time too!” The pixie said. … “Why do you think the big apple tree is so green? Why do you think that it always has so many great red apples? I have lived in the hollow of that tree ever since it happened! That is why I have taken care of it so well! That is why it is so green! That tree was my home … My home in your world Timothy! And you threw that stick!” The pixie stammered! “Because you thought that I was a grasshopper! She stammered again with a very sad voice, and then changed her mind about calling Trebla a stick again, and instead, said, "You threw Trebla at me! And I know that you thought that it was a stick too! Didn't you?"

“Yes!” Timmy said, as he hung his head. “Yes! I thought that it was a shepherd’s shaft.” “But I didn't know that it was magic! And you did look like a grasshopper! There was no way for me to tell! You jumped so quickly!”

“There is no strong magic in the Toppling world without the Green slime!” The Pixie said. “And there is no protection for Pixies against Topplings! And I pop! I don’t Hop!” she said. “And only when Trebla went into the shimmering darkness did the magic come to the staff! Only when you jammed Trebla into the darkness of the crack! Trebla could talk to you then!”

“And I-well I- I was without most of my great powers and appeared to be an oversize fire fly to most of the Topplings! Those that were lucky enough to see me anyway!”  And of course, until you thought that I was a grasshopper! …Really! Timothy! You should look closer before you try and trounce something, - many of us get trapped-as I was, in the world of the Topplings, but down here, when we are at peace, we have the ability to be magical and change size at will!”

“The windstorms are mostly to blame when we get trapped above!” the pixie said.

“Windstorms-How can you have windstorms down here? You’re not outside! There is no wind!” Timmy asked.

“Oh, Yes!! We get Great winds, Timothy! We get bad winds unlike the winds in the Toppling world our wind comes from the caves. There is very little shelter for pixies and such! I hope that you will never have to deal with the winds of the caves! They come with sudden force.”

And then the pixie began to speak with an anxious voice “We will find Eitra! She will help us! And she will help you return to the Toppling world!”

“But you must set me free Timothy, before that Spider comes back! I cannot free myself from spider webs! Only from roots, when I get tangled in them! My Pixie dust works on the roots but my magic will not work on spider webs! That must be learned and only Eitra will teach me upon my return with news of Trebla!”

Timmy pondered a moment, remembering the rock that she had split, and then with a few strokes of the Scout knife, he set her free. He knew that he might need another friend! And one that he could talk to!

“What do you mean, upon your return with news of Trebla?” He asked. “Do you know where Eitra is? Can you take us there?”

Yes! I think that I remember! I think that I can find the way back through the tunnels. “I followed Nek when he took the staff! There were Smuddlemint vine roots where he passed! I could smell them! He was going to meet Yaj! Who had stolen the rings, they were to meet here with Trebla! Yaj had the rings of Trebla. Together they would be strong! ”

She spoke as she dusted herself off and pulled at the sticky remains of the spider web that was still tangled and stuck to her ankles and wings. "Together Nek and Yaj would have had strong magic with Trebla and the Rings in the Toppling world,” she said. “In your world Timmy-where you found the staff of Eitra, called Trebla! With the rings of Trebla and the staff they would have had strong powers!”

“I was following Trebla and Nek. Nek had stolen Trebla and I was following when I was blown out of the opening by the winds into your orchard. The winds came when the Topplings opened the door and put things into the cellar.

Those things! She said, as she pointed into a corner and flung a small piece of sticky spider web off to one side! "Yuck!" She said, as she flung another piece of the web! "Ginger ducked, just in time! Then, “zing” another piece of the web was flung through the air and it stuck to Gingers ear, she promptly took her paw and wiped it off.-Then it was stuck to her paw- She gritted her teeth and bit the web away from her paw and shook her head until the small piece of web flew from her teeth and stuck to the cave wall!

There was a large dark pile against the wall near where the web had stuck, on the opposite side of the cellar, where the pixie had pointed; Timmy shined the flashlight on the pile. It was covered with a canvas and dirt from above and looked like it had been there for a long, long time!