Bumblestook: Book 1, The Accidental Wizard by Sheri McClure-Pitler

Author:Sheri McClure-Pitler [McClure-Pitler, Sheri]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young (Adult)
Publisher: Sheri McClure-Pilter
Published: 2015-08-13T22:00:00+00:00

Upon his return, Ranger Gary, seeing nothing amiss, secured the tarp and headed back round to the truck’s cab. He also didn’t see the blurry form of a large, striped tabby; leaping onto the back of the truck, flattening itself down on top of the tarp and hooking its curved claws into the thick, canvas fabric. The ranger whistled cheerfully (happy to have a full day’s work behind him) as he started the engine and headed up the winding, mountain road.

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Thirty, dusty, bumpy minutes later, Farley and Fiona felt the truck come to a stop, followed by the sound of the front door, creaking open. The vehicle bounced, as the ranger stepped out, lightening the load. They started in surprise, as the door slammed shut, then waited, for the crunching sound of footsteps on gravel to fade away. Crawling on their bellies to the edge of the truck bed, they peeked out from beneath the tarp; relieved to find themselves in the parking lot of the Chilao Ranger Station. As it was nearly closing time, the lot was empty, but for the ranger’s truck. They hopped down (well, Farley fell down) then crouched by the side of the vehicle, anxiously surveying their surroundings.

The problem was, how to get into the building, unnoticed. The Ranger Station was a wooden, geodesic dome perched high atop a deck, supported by tall, thick, logs of cedar. A long, wooden walkway (constructed of graduated lengths of cedar logs and thick, sturdy planks) was suspended, bridge-like, across the uneven, rocky terrain. Anyone, walking its length, would be fully exposed to the Rangers manning the station. The only way to gain access, without being spotted, was to scale the smooth, wooden pylons that held the building aloft. Drawing on their field trip experience, the children also recalled that the door to the station was rigged with a bell; serving to welcome visitors and alert the station personnel to their arrival.

Quickly, they formulated a plan, intensely aware of the fast-approaching end to visiting hours and the impending fall of night. They shook hands for luck, employing their newly-invented Super Hero Handshake (a regular handclasp with thumbs upraised). Farley grasped Yap’s leash, setting off along the walkway to the station, while Fiona crept up to the wooden pylons.

As the boy neared the entrance, Fiona implemented the second stage of their plan. With the tree-hugging agility of a squirrel, she quickly scaled one of the pylons. Then, grasping the edge of the platform, she flipped up and over the rails; landing up-right on the deck, to the left of the door and just out of sight. From her jacket pocket, she pulled a piece of wood, scavenged from the forest floor. Sliding down into a crouch, she nodded to Farley. Go time!

With Yap trotting beside him (looking every bit, the well-behaved pet) Farley pushed open the door and sauntered in; the bell announcing his arrival. As the door began to close behind them, Fiona’s arm snaked out and she swiftly stuck the wood chip into the slowly narrowing gap; preventing it from closing all the way.

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