– CHAPTER EIGHTEEN –
“Keegan.” said Jackie with her hands on her hips. “I know what I saw out my window.”
Keegan relaxed back on his bed and pretended to read a comic book. Jackie leaned over and snatched the comic from Keegan’s hands.
“Keegan, listen to me. Stop reading that comic. Besides, it’s upside down.” snatching the comic from Keegan. “Now I was looking out my window and there was a huge gray owl came floating by upside down with the bluest blue eyes you have ever seen in your life. And Lisa thinks I’m crazy. Listen to me. You’re the great explorer and expert on everything. Do owls fly upside down or don’t they and ………. do owls fly upside down in the daylight.”
Keegan looked at Lisa who was looking fixedly at the large teddy bear on Keegan’s dresser. To Lisa’s mind, she was certain the teddy bear was looking back at her. Keeping her eyes on the bear, she walked to the other side of the room. The eyes appeared to follow her.
“Keegan. Where did you get this teddy bear from?” asked Lisa. “I haven’t seen it before. Anyway, aren’t you a bit old to be having a teddy bear?” Lisa picked up the bear and studied it.
Keegan cleared his throat.
“Um well, there’s something I have to tell you guys. Jackie, would you close the door please. Now what I’m going to tell you is top secret and I don’t want you fainting or doing any of that girly stuff.”
Jackie grabbed Keegan’s pillow and began swatting her brother over the head.
“Keegan. You are such a dork. What do you mean “girly things”. Who has beaten you and Cody and Parker for that matter in the bike-cross every year?” Keegan crossed his arms across the top of his head protecting himself from Jackie’s swats with the pillow. Lisa still stared pointedly at the “teddy bear”. Suddenly she gave a little “eek” and dropped the teddy on the floor. Lisa pointed at the teddy bear. “It blinke!”
Keegan leapt off the bed and picked up the “teddy bear” “Look, look. Stop! You guys sit down. This is important and I’m going to show you something and I don’t want you to freak out!”
Jackie slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. Lisa backed up until her legs come in contact with Keegan’s desk and she plonked down on his chair, eyes still fixed on the “bear”.
“Ok, OK. Yesterday when I was …………………..”
Lisa pointed at the “bear” and interrupted Keegan. “ It did it again! “Oh shoot.” Keegan said. “ Ok, Greanwold. Would you show my friends – please?”
The bear developed a shimmer around it and suddenly, morphed into Greanwold who immediately turned upside down and gently floated over to Lisa so they were nose to nose.
Extending a paw, Greanwold greeted Lisa. “Howdy do. I’m Greanwold.” Lisa stuttered and stammered in surprise with her eyes wide open. “I…. I….I’m…. L..Lisa.”
Greanwold politely shook Lisa’s hand. “Howdy do L..Lisa.”
Greanwold then floated over to Jackie and greeted her in a similar manner. Both girls had a stunned look on their faces. Keegan called out to Greanwold! “Stop Flying upside down and sit down.”
He turned to Jackie and Lisa. “Look he’s safe. In fact he’s a real friendly little guy, aren’t you Greanwold?”
Greanwold sat down beside Keegan. As Keegan spoke he had a big goofy grin on his face and he nodded his head happily. Jackie and Lisa sat glancing at Keegan but were mesmerized by Greanwold.
Keegan began earnestly. “Ok, this is what happened. You see, Mr. Shama made an X on my map and I went along the beach until I found the spot. Then I started digging …………………..”
Lisa and Jackie leaned forward as Keegan told his story. Greanwold leaned forward as well and looked at Keegan and then glanced occasionally over to Lisa and Jackie and smiled. Lisa ran from the room and ran back with her laptop computer. She immediately began entering information as Keegan told his story.
Meanwhile, at the baseball diamond in the park just down the street, Cody and Parker were practicing with some other kids from their local team. Cody was pitching to Parker who was hitting fly balls to the outfield. Atlas the dog was chasing after each ball. Every now and then Atlas stopped, sniffed the air and with his head cocked to one side, gazed at the trees in the background. There were six pairs of eyes looking at the baseball park from the shelter of the forest.
“… and so that is the story. That’s how I came to find Greanwold. Now, he has to find his friends and then figure a way to get back in time to their place.” Keegan held out his hands in an open gesture as he told the story of his meeting Greanwold to his sister and her friend. Both Jackie and Lisa looked at Greanwold. They glanced at each other then both got up from their sitting positions, walked over to Greanwold, paused a second then leaned over and took turns giving him a hug. Greanwold rose from the bed into their arms, a big grin on his face. Jackie looked into his eyes. “Oh Greanwold, what a sad story. But …… we are your friends. We will help you find your Minosaur friends, wont we Lisa?” Lisa grinned at the other three. “Oh boy. And I thought this was going to be a boring summer vacation.”