Once upon a time, Archer and Alexandra were on a ferry to Whidbey Island. The ferry was packed that day with nervous and frightened children. Alexandra asked a little girl why she and her sister looked frightened. The little girl said that a terrible dragon had come out of the Whidbey caves and was eating dogs and burning the forest. Alexandra ran to her little brother Archer and told him what she heard. As Alexandra and Archer loaded into the big black van to go to the beach house, they told their parents about the dragon and the fires. Alexandra and Archer’s parents were so busy with their responsibilities they made little note of the terrible dragon. Archer, however, felt in his heart that he would help the people of Whidbey Island.

As the van pulled up to the beach house, Alexandra and Archer could see many of their kid friends across the street at Mutiny Cabana Park.

"Mommy, can we go to our friends?"

“Yes” Mommy said.

Alexandra and Archer crossed the street. Levi had a garbage can lid strapped to his stomach and a helmet on his head. Tazman had a kid sword and many clothes on. Every kid there was dressed sturdily as if for some doings...

"Hi" Alexandra said.

Abby turned around and said, “Alex, I am so glad you are here, have you heard? About the dragon yet?"

“Yes” Alexandra said, “A kid on the ferry told me a dragon was eating dogs and burning the forest!”

Abby nodded. “We all have told our parents and our parents are not listening to us. It’s like our parents can’t even think of a terrible dragon.”

Levi pointed to the end of the bay saying, “One of the dragon’s cave entrances is just over there at the end of Smugglers cove. We don’t want the dragon here at Mutiny Bay so we were just getting ready to find the opening to the cave and block it off. It’s low tide now, so we will be able to make it to the end of the cove, Will you guys help us?”

“Yes!” everyone yelled, “we need your help too.”

“Okay. Okay, okay, we will help! Let me go ask Mom and Dad if we can go too.” With conviction, Archer added, “I will get my sword.”

“Good,” said Taz, “don’t forget your armor.”

Alexandra considered what would be helpful to bring. She put some water in a travel bottle and made six peanut butter sandwiches. All the children of Mutiny Bay started down the road to the end of the land. There, they got into two flat bottom canoes to push with long canes across the deep parts of the tidal flats. Where the water ended, the kids would get out of the boat and drag the boat with ropes over the sand to the next pond flat. Clams squirted at them and Ireland began to sing the “Gooey Duck” song. All the kids sung along as they laughed about who was getting a clam squirt. At last, they made it to the end of the Mutiny Bay and deep into Smugglers cove.

Archer knew that dragons were smart and difficult to defend against. Alexandra was happy to be on such an exciting adventure with all the neighborhood kids. After a bit of searching, the marshland the children came upon what looked like a huge snakes hole. Abby’s eyes bugged out she shivered and wanted to go back home.

“This must be it,” yelled Tazman, “We need to seal off this entrance!”

There were no rocks around for the job so the children found driftwood and branches and sand to push into the dragons snake hole. They worked hard to seal to entrance and by the time they were done the sun was setting, the tide was coming in, and the kids knew their parents would be very upset and worried about them. So they quickly jumped into the canoes and pushed with long poles quickly as possible back to the neighborhood. There they found many parents wandering the neighborhood calling for the children frantically, but in a strange frantic zombie sort of way. Alexandra and Archer walked home with Ireland’s mom.

04/03/2011

Posted on 04/04/2011
Copyright © 2024 E. A. Pugh