Bigfoot Comes To Our Town

  

Big Foot Comes to our town

 

By Nancy Lee Shrader

Co-authored with her seven-year-old grandson

Michael Anthony

 

 

My seven-year-old grandson, Michael is my co-author for this story. He wrote a little story, giving me the idea for this piece. Michael came up with the storyline out of his vivid imagination. The filler is mine. At the end of this piece, you will see the actual story, written in Michael’s own words. You should look for his books on Amazon.com in about eighteen years. I am a very proud grandmother.

 

On a crisp autumn day, Michael left the backyard. He walked down into the wooded area behind his house. He was scouting squirrels and other game for his next hunt. He hadn’t seen any dear, but he was sure that there must be deer in the woods. It would soon be bow season and he wanted to be ready to go hunting with his dad.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something brown and hairy. He could tell right away that it wasn’t a deer, but what was it? Just the day before, his friend, Dylan was telling him that there had been a Big Foot sighting in their town. ‘It had been all over the newspapers and the television,’ Dylan had said. Michael was terrified. He got down real low and hid himself behind a big maple tree. He was trying to remember, what else Dylan had said about Big Foot. Dylan said that the television news man said that Big Foot had a very good sense of smell. Oh no, if that was really Big Foot, then it could smell him and find him no matter where he hid. Michael got up quickly and ran as fast as he could to his home and safety.

Michael climbed up into the fort at the top of the big swing set that Grandpa and Grandma bought for him, Lyndsey and Justin. He hunkered down low, so not to be seen from the ground. Then quietly, he pulled up the ladder and then reached in the backpack that he kept in the fort. He kept many useful things inside. One of these useful things was the binoculars that Justin brought him back from his trip with the youth group a few weeks ago. When he got his nerve up, he slowly raised himself to see over the railing. He raised the binoculars to his eyes and scanned the woods in all directions, but there was nothing there. He knew that he had not imagined the brown fury creature. It was out there, blending in with the foliage. Without taking his eyes off his surroundings, he searched his mind to decide what to do.

Justin had been at his friend’s Brad’s house, but was on his way across the street towards home. He had a strange feeling as he crossed the street, as if someone was watching him. He looked around in all directions, but there was no one on the street and no one out in their yards. Finally, he looked into the backyard past Rocky’s pen. The backyard was empty. Lyndsey and Michael must be inside, but why were they inside on such a pretty day. The feeling became stronger, as if eyes were boring through him. Suddenly he looked up toward the fort. It was then that he saw the reflection from lenses of the binoculars. He squinted his eyes and finally Michael’ form became visible. Justin stomped angrily into the backyard. He was going to give Michael a piece of his mind for spying on him. Just as he neared the swing set, Michael whispered loudly.

"Justin, get up here quick, before it gets you." Forgetting that he had pulled the ladder up into the fort.

"Before what gets me? You’re really gonna get it for spying on me."

"I’m not spying, there’s something in the woods. It’s big and brown. I think it’s Big Foot."

"Big Foot, are you nuts?"

"Dylan told me that Big Foot has been sighted several times in our town. I think he is in our woods."

Justin remembered half listening to the news the previous night at Brad’s house. He heard something about Big Foot, but thought the news commentator was talking about someplace like Colorado. He hadn’t realized that he was talking about his little sleepy town.

"Get up here quick before it gets you," Michael whispered again.

"You get your bow and arrow and I’ll get my BB gun and we will go see if it is Big Foot or not."

"You go get them. I’m not coming down until I’m armed," Michael whispered just a little bit louder.

"Ok, you keep watch while I get our weapons. Whistle like this if you see anything." Justin puckered his lips, cupped his hands over his mouth and whistled a special whistle.

"I don’t know how to whistle like that. Will this be ok?" Michael puckered his lips and blew. The faintest whistle could be heard.

"I will never hear that all the way in the basement. Just holler out, Justin its coming. Look out. Then I will know to run for my life."

"Ok, I’ll holler if I see something," Michael whispered.

Justin turned to go to the basement for the weaponry Michael needed to feel safe. As Justin turned around, Michael was sure that he could hear Justin laughing at him, but pretended not to hear. Justin snickered all the way to the basement, but even though he thought Michael was making a mountain out of a molehill, he couldn’t help remembering the news flash about Big Foot that was broadcasted the previous night. He started whistling low as he walked towards the basement. He was trying to be brave, but Michael’s fears were welling up inside of him too.

He finally got to the basement, and turned on the light. He knew exactly where his BB gun was, but it took him several minutes to find Michael’s bow and arrows. Then he saw Michael’s BB gun on his dad’s gun rack. It didn’t have as much power as his, but if Big Foot was really out there, two BB guns would be better than one, in case Michael ran out of his target arrows.

Michael was still up in the fort with his eyes glued to the binoculars, moving his head slowly in all directions and back again. Suddenly, his head stopped moving. Was that a flash of brown just about fifty feet from where he was. He strained his eyes, trying desperately to see through the thick foliage. It was then that he saw his daddy’s tree stand in one of the big trees near the place where he saw the flash of brown. If he and Justin could get there, they could climb up there and be at a safe distance. He wondered if Big Foot would know how to climb into a tree stand. What was really actually known about these creatures? ‘Most sightings were usually caused by hysteria,’ the news commentator said. "What is hysteria?" Michael asked himself. The word had no meaning for him. Was hysteria something they liked to eat. He was sure that there wasn’t any hysteria growing in his town, so why had there been any Big Foot sightings here.

Justin finally returned with his chosen weaponry, extra arrows and Michael’s BB gun. Michael scanned the surrounding area one final time before shoving the binoculars into his backpack. He put his arms through the straps of the backpack and stated to climb down the ladder, but it wasn’t there. It was then he remembered that he had pulled it up. He lowered the ladder and climbed down. First, he nocked his arrow; he was ready. Justin cocked his BB gun and just to be on the safe side, cocked Michael’s too.

"Justin, I saw a flash of brown while you were gone. It was there for only a moment. At first I wasn’t sure that I had really seen it, but I noticed one of the large bushes moving."

"Could it have been the wind that caused the bush to move?" Justin asked.

"I don’t think so. I don’t remember any breeze at all. No, I’m sure that there wasn’t any. Together they stepped out of the backyard into the wilderness. Without saying a word, Michael pointed to his daddy’s tree stand. Justin smiled and quickened his steps. They needed to get to the tree-stand quickly, before whatever it was smelled them and was hot on their trail. Michael reached the tree-stand first. He handed his bow and arrow to Justin and climbed up and waited for Justin to hand everything up to him. Once he had made everything secure, Justin climbed the ladder and joined him on the platform. Justin and Michael stood side by side on the platform of the tree-stand. There was plenty of room for both boys, since it was designed for full-grown men.

"Give me the binoculars so I can take a look around" Justin whispered. "Where did you see the flash of brown, while I was getting the weapons?"

"Over there," Michael said in a low whisper as he pointed to a clump of bushes near several tall oak trees.

Just as Justin looked in the direction that Michael was pointing, the bushes began shaking. Not just a slight movement. It was as if someone was caught inside the bush and was fighting, trying to get out. "Look did you see that, Michael?" Michael leaned forward and lost his balance. Justin grabbed his arm, catching him, but dropped the binoculars in his haste to save Michael.

"Boy that was close," Michael said, breathless.

"I dropped the binoculars. What are we going to do now?"

"I’ll climb down and get them."

"No, I dropped them; I’ll go get them."

"I can go faster. I’m used to climbing up and down this tree-stand. I have been hunting for squirrel here all summer long."

Before Justin could argue the point, Michael climbed down the tree-stand, grabbed the binoculars and climbed back up, quicker than a squirrel scampers up and down the trees.

"Boy, you really are fast." Justin said.

"There did you see that?" A flash of brown could be seen through the bush. They didn’t even need the binoculars to see it.

"It’s a bear! It’s not a Big Foot. Just a big brown bear."

"A bear!" Both boys screamed at the top of their lungs in unison. Then grabbed their mouths, trying to make the sound stop before the bear heard them. Too late, the bear heard and saw them. He was heading toward the tree-stand. Justin and Michael were petrified. Why didn’t they tell their mom and dad where they were going. Justin started shooting his BB gun and Michael shot several arrows. Several arrows hit their target, but bounced off the bears tuff hide. The BBs did the most damage. The stinging BBs caused the bear to growl loudly in a moaning tone. Michael put his bow down and grabbed his BB gun and took aim. Finally, the bear headed deeper into the woods.

"We should run for the house before he comes back," Justin said.

"What if he is just waiting for us to climb down," Michael said, his voice several octaves higher than usual.

"We don’t have any choice. It will be getting dark soon. Do you want to find out how well bears can see in the dark?"

"No!" Michael said, as he climbed down the ladder quickly then running as fast as he could to the house. Justin wasn’t far behind him.

They both made it to the backyard at precisely the same time and ran right into their dad, almost knocking him down.

"Daddy, a bear, we saw a bear and it’s after us." Michael hollered.

"Justin get my gun and then you boys get in the house."

"But, daddy, you won’t know where to look. You will need our help."

"Where was the bear, Justin?"

"We saw it from the tree-stand in a clump of bushes, but it went deeper into the woods after we shot it with our BB guns."

"Boys, BB guns are no match for a full grown bear." Before Daddy could finish speaking, a little brown bear cub ambled out of the woods. Daddy could see several BBs embedded in his fur. "Is this your big brown bear?"

"He looked much bigger from the tree-stand," Justin said.

"Well, most likely his mother is close by and she won’t be very happy about the fact that you boys shot her baby with BBs. I suggest that you two get in the house and I’ll call DNR to get rid of the bears. It didn’t take the two boys very long to obey their father. They were both inside the house, looking out the window to see if the momma bear had come looking for the baby bear.

 

The next morning the telephone rang. The office from the DNR informed Michael and Justin’s daddy that they had captured the bears and were returning them to the wild.

 

The following night, something brown and hairy walked upright through the backyard. It quietly opened the trashcan lid. Reached inside and got out a box of stale donuts that Michael’s mommy had thrown out after dinner. It looked at Michael’s bedroom window and smiled. Then walked back into the woods, carrying the box of stale donuts under its arm. It was another Big Foot sighting, but no one was awake to witness it. Big Foot came to our town, but everyone was asleep.

 

 

Below is the story by Michael

 

 

Big Foot Comes To Our Town

 

By

 

Michael Anthony

 

One day there was a little boy named Michael and he went to the woods and saw something scary. He ran back home and he got his brother Justin, but his mom, dad and sister didn’t know where they went. Michael had his bow and arrows and Justin got his BB gun. Together they went back to the woods to see what it was with their trusty bow and gun. And while they were there, they saw IT. Do you know what it was? IT was a big brown bear. Then they ran back home. They told their dad that they saw a big brown bear in the wood. Dad said, I want to see this bear and Michael and Justin said OK!

Reviews

[Sharon Miller Bolander]

How proud you must be of Michael! That's an amazing little tale for a seven-year-old, and your elaboration on his story provided a wonderful opportunity for a collaboration. I absolutely loved the ending because it leaves an opening for another episode of Big Foot at a late date. Most certainly both of you share a love of writing and I dare say it runs in the genes! :-) Sharon