LOCKERED OUT!
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Decker was trying his best to stand his ground. He was getting tussled about from side to side. He almost got swept away in the current of moving bodies. All he wanted was to switch text books for his afternoon classes. He thought somehow this year was going to be different. For the past two years Decker had to share his locker. Last year he shared it with a friend. It wasn't too bad until winter; his friend's boots and socks were really stinky. The year before that, Decker had to share a locker with his little brother. Now that was just plain gross!
He was promised that this year he would have a locker all to himself. Decker was crazy with excitement when he was given his own locker. Unfortunately the location of his locker was really poor. He was way at the other end of the school and very close to a main door. So Decker had to leave for school early each morning so he could struggle to get from his locker to his class all the way across to the opposite side of the school. Then when he was at his locker, he was always fighting the river of students pushing and shoving trying to squeeze past. The number on his locker was also unlucky, very unlucky. The number on Decker's locker was 1313.
The crowds around his locker were getting worse. Decker was stuck with this locker. All of the rest of the lockers had been assigned. The only way for Decker to get another locker was to trade with someone else. No one was interested in locker number 1313.
On one particular day the traffic around Decker's locker was so bad that three of his friends volunteered to help. Prescot, Tamika and Natalle came down to locker 1313 to help Decker get his school books. The four student friends linked arms and started to walk across the hall towards the locker. They got about half way across when a stranger got tangled up in the linked arms and pulled everyone off course. The second attempt they ended up in four different places. The third time Prescot went first and grabbed onto the handle of the neighbour's locker. Tamika and Natalle moved in next and took hold of the other handle. Decker swept in, linked arms with Prescot and quickly started working on his combination. The lock moved smoothly and opened with ease. Decker began to gather his books. His locker was very well organized and was exceptionally neat and tidy. Decker was very proud of it. Then without warning the crowd changed direction and forced Tamika and Natalle into the locker.
"Ouch!" called out Tamika.
"Nuff thrip poof blum!" yelled Decker as his face was forced into his backpack.
"I can't help it!" stressed Natalle as she was smooshed into Tamika.
"I'm going to try to pull Decker to his feet!" shouted Prescot as he positioned him self between Tamika and Natalle.
Prescot grabbed Decker by the scruff of his collar and began to yank. Decker popped up to his feet only to be forced into one side of the locker and Prescot jammed against the other. All of a sudden the two girls were sandwiched into the locker. Decker raised his hand and took hold of the centre hook. He pulled to try to straighten himself up. The hook turned to the left and quite unexpectedly all of the pressure from the pushing disappeared. The four friends tumbled forward into darkness. The back of the locker had unlocked and released itself inward. Decker, Prescot, Tamika and Natalle found themselves strewn about watching the back of the locker latch close.
"What happened and where are we?" questioned Prescot.
"We seemed to be behind my locker," replied Decker.
"Is everyone alright?" asked Tamika.
"Yes."
"It's so dark I can hardly see," said Tamika.
"The door has completely disappeared," said Prescot as he inches along feeling for the back door to the locker.
"All I can see is a very faint light way down there," declared Decker.
"I wonder where we are?" asked Natalle.
"I'm not sure, but I think the only way out is that faint light down there," answered Prescot.
"Let's go," said Decker. "At least it's not crowded back here."
Down the tiny hall the four friends traveled, towards freedom or adventures beyond their imaginations.
As the four friends sauntered towards the glowing light, the hallway
appeared to become smaller and smaller.
"Is it just me, or are we getting bigger?" questioned Prescott.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," replied Natalle,
with a hint of fear in her quavering voice.
Kneeling, then crawling, the group continued to inch towards what they
believed to be an exit from the stuffy corridor. It wasn't long and the
once crowded passage became a gigantic room full of brightly colored doors.
"I don't know about any of you, but are you guys beginning to think
that we just fell down the rabbit hole?" whispered Tamika.
"Well, I'm not about to drink any magic potion," joked Decker.
"Shh, do you guys hear that?" asked Tamika, "It sounds
like it is coming behind that green door with the weird handle."
With curiosity and a lot of bravery, the four comrades walked towards
the ominous door, knowing that whatever lay beyond would change their
futures forever.
They went through the green door, shivering with fright. They observed a world they had never seen before.
Suddenly Decker exclaimed "What has happened to us?"
"What are we going to do?" Natalie moaned. "We are going to miss next period!"
"I am worried," said Prescot. "What if we can't get home? What we can eat in this strange place?"
Decker knew they could not turn back; the locker door was gone. "We can only keep going, we have nothing to lose" he said.
They walked around; even the trees were shaped different, like an ogre's hand grasping at the sky. Tamika signaled to come over to see what she was looking at. Decker was really worried. What if it was something bad? He was hoping that everything would be OK, but he had no idea that those few steps would change his life forever.
Prescott and Natalle joined Tamika. As Decker approached them, Tamika reached through a hedge of a bulrush type of plant and pulled them back to reveal a glimmering handle on a red coloured door.
"Thanks a fancy door knob!" declared Decker.
"Hey! What are you doing?" asked Tamika.
Decker reached towards the star-shaped knob on the ruby red door. Before
his fingers could grasp the knob, the door creaked open. Decker, Natalle,
Prescott & Tamika felt a cold breeze and were instantly covered in
goose bumps. One at a time, they crept through the red door and into another
room.
"Ew, don't touch the carpet! It looks like the mess under Decker's
bed!" squealed Natalle.
They all noticed a round table with a deck of cards in the centre. A thin
light shot up from the floor. As they stood around the table, Decker reached
for the cards.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" whispered Tamika with a
quiver in her voice.
Decker ignored his friend and seized the cards. Then ....
Instantly the cards shot out of Decker's hands. They began flying all over the place. The cards were whirling around so fast that the children became dizzy watching them. The kids lost their balance, grabbed onto each other and tumbled to the ground. It took a second or two before they could see clearly.
"Is everyone OK?" asked Prescot.
"I think so," replied Tamika.
"Yup," said Decker.
"Guys, look over there!" yelled Natalle.
When they turned to look, they saw Natalle pointing at a huge dark shadow.
"What is it?" asked Tamika.
The shaded shape moved into the light.
"It's a wolf!" shouted Natalle.
"Go, Go, Go!" Prescot screamed.
As they ran for safety, Natalle looked back and saw that the wolf was transforming!
"Guys, look the wolf is turning into a lion," exclaimed Natalle.
This made them run even faster. They saw a tree with a small opening in the middle of a huge tree! They all squeezed into the hole and bent a branch down over it. The lion ran past.
"Do you think we're safe, in here?" asked Tamika.
Before Prescot could answer something tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned his head to try to see in the dark . . .
When Prescot's eyes finally adjusted to the darkness he realized that it was the lion-wolf creature that had touched his shoulder! Before the children could scream the creature spoke.
"Do not be afraid! I have been sent to help you," he said as he transformed back into his wolf form right in front of them.
The children were too shocked to say anything.
"My name is Cargo," said the wolf. "I have much to tell you but we will have to wait. It looks like there is a storm coming. Follow me to shelter."
Prescot went out of their hiding spot with Cargo and the rest of the children followed. They got to the shelter and they were about to go in when they heard a horrible noise.
"Oh no! He's here! Run!" Cargo yelled.
As they were following him through the trees Nattele asked "What was that?"
"That was a band of wildebeests. Their leader is called Corfar and he's the evilest of them all," Cargo explained. "I wish I didn't have to say this, but I've learned he wants to capture you."
The kids all looked at Cargo with a surprised look on their faces.
"What for?" the children asked at once.
"I'll explain everything to you later. Right now, we need to find Buck," Cargo said matter-of-factly.
Just as he said this, they saw something moving… it looked like another wolf, or a dog maybe Prescot thought.
"Everyone, this is my closest friend. He will lead us through Dragon Mountain and into our land, Charnel." Cargo told them. "You will be safe there."
"Hello, children, my name is Buck. I may look a little like Cargo, but I'm really a husky. Cargo transforms into a lion, I transform into a tiger," Buck said.
When Buck led them through the tunnel to the other side of Dragon Mountain it took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust to the sunlight. Tamika was still blinking when she heard Decker inhale with a whistle.
Dragons!
It seemed they were everywhere! Flying, walking around…
Just as Prescot was thinking they now knew why the mountain was called Dragon Mountain, a dragon walked right up to him, Natelle and Decker.
"Hello children, my name is Cor…er, I mean Flame! My name is Flame." said the dragon.
"That was a close call!" he murmured to himself.
"Would you like some dragon cookies?" the dragon asked.
"Of course!" said the children at once.
"Wait! It's a trap! Don't go, that's no ordinary dragon…it's Corfar! He must have transformed to fool you!" yelled Buck and Cargo, but it was too late. The three children were already walking away with Corfar. Luckily Tamika, who had been trying to catch up to her friends, heard them and turned back.
"I thought you said Corfar was a wildebeest!" said Tamika.
"He is…or was. You see, Corfar can transform into any animal he wants, and this time his ruse worked!" said Cargo.
"Good thing I have a friend who is a real dragon… we can catch a ride on him and try and catch up!" said Buck.
Buck leads Cargo and Tamika to meet up with his dragon friend Sapheria. After a long journey they reach the lair belonging to Sapheria. Sapheria spots Buck "It is great to see you again Buck! Who are your friends?"
"This is Cargo and Tamika!" answered Buck.
"Nice to meet you!" said Sapheria. "What can I do for you?"
"I've got a favour to ask of you Sapheria!" said Buck. "We need to take a ride on your back to catch up with Corfar and our three friends that have fallen into his trap."
"I see you've got a problem" said Sapheria. "Well there is no time to waste! Climb aboard so we can find Corfar and your friends!"
Everyone climbed on and Sapheria pushed up with wings in motion. No sooner had Sapheria taken off into the sky the mighty dragon was swooping down to the ground. Sapheria looked back at Buck "I've spotted Corfar and your friends in the distance".
Sapheria begins a rapid decent toward the children and Corfar. Corfar spotted the dragon swooping down. Corfar yelled up toward the sky, "Stay away Sapheria you don't know what you're getting into!"
Sapheria ignores Corfar and blows a hot burst of fire to screen the landing. Tamika yells to her friends "Get on the dragon, quickly!"
"You will never escape!" yells Corfar.
A large cloud of dust suddenly appears up from behind Corfar.
After the big cloud of dust settled Sapheria pushed back up into the sky with the rescued children. Corfar transforms into a dragon and swooped up into the sky to chase after Sapheria.
"You will never escape with those children; they are mine!" yelled Corfar.
The chase continued for several hours. Sapheria looked back to check on everyone. Buck and Cargo where the only ones not frightened.
"We are going to land up ahead I think we lost him." Sapheria said.
When all of a sudden Sapheria spotted a big blockade of wildebeests with Corfar in the middle of them all.
Sapheria called back to everyone "Hold on tight lets give these wildebeests a taste of what dragons are made of!"
Sapheria swooped down toward the blockade.
"Lets get these wildebeests once and for all!" yelled Sapheria.
Corfar shot a hot burning flame into the sky blinding Sapheria …
Sapheria brought her left wing forward and blocked the hot flame burst. She regained her vision and started back towards the wildebeests. Corfar had returned to his heard and transformed back to a wildebeest. Corfar stood in the middle of a circle. The wildebeests had encircled Corfar and were listening for new instructions.
Before Sapheria caught up with the wildebeests, she landed and let everyone off. Cargo and Buck jumped down and began to track Corfar and his gang. The children wouldn't climb down to the ground and called out, "We want to help you!"
"Now that's the brave young group of children I thought you were!" Sapheria called back, "Lets get that wildebeest, he's no match for a real dragon."
"You got that right!" shouted back the kids.
Sapheria leapt into up and scooped away at the air with her mighty wings. She kept low and close to the ground so they wouldn't be seen. Within minutes Sapheria had found the wildebeest circle and exclaimed, "I have something really special for Corfar and his pals."
With that Sapheria swooped right past the circle and released a huge fire ball. The flaming ball swung right around the entire circle and scorched the butts of all of the beasts. The wildebeests panicked and ran in every direction. They were grabbing at their tales, trying to blow them out. Corfar got his rear end singed and took off into the woods. Buck and Cargo were right on his smoking tail. All of a sudden Corfar hit the brakes and almost made Buck and Cargo crash.
"I give up!" shouted Corfar, "You two are too big a match for me!"
As Corfar admits to his mistakes, Sapheria arrives with the children.
"I should have stayed at home and left all of you alone!" whined Corfar, "You make a good team and I'm sorry I underestimated your group."
Corfar transformed back into a dragon and lifted himself into the air and slowly disappeared into the clouds.
The kids jumped down off of Sapheria and jumped up and down celebrating with a round of high fives. Then everyone realized that their success was short lived. The children had to find a way back home.
"All I know is that every door we walked through, vanished the second we were through," confessed Prescot.
"I think I recall an ancient route used by explorers long gone," said Sapheria.
"Tell us, please," asked Tamika.
"That same tree that you hid in earlier can be used as a transporter," explained Sapheria, "But you have to enter it differently."
"How do we enter it?" questioned Decker.
"You don't go in the small hole that you used before," continued Sapheria, "Instead you have to be dropped in from the top at a very fast speed."
"Fast?!" declared Natalle, "How fast?"
"Fast enough to force you through the upper branches, the hollow trunk and still fast enough to send you through the tickly roots," stated Sapheria.
"Roots!"
"The roots are the magic," continued Sapheria, "You have to be hugging really tight and you all must be thinking of the same destination or you'll be torn apart and scattered to the wind."
"Are you sure there isn't another route?" asked Prescot.
"I'm afraid not," answered Sapheria.
"Then I guess we should be going," said Decker nervously.
The kids said "Good-bye" to Cargo and Buck. Then Tamika, Natalle, Decker and Prescot climbed onto the powerful shoulders of Sapheria. She swept the kids up into the air and spent a long time climbing higher and higher up in the sky. Sapheria soared so high into the sky that she almost touched the atmosphere. Then she began to drop. She tucked her wings back and became a dart shooting through the air. They went faster and faster. The tree became closer and closer. Then right at the last second Sapheria opened her wings and stopped mid air. The children shot off her back and continued down towards the tree. Sapheria veered off and avoided the top branches.
"Good-bye," she called out.
The four kids were shooting down towards the tree. They all grabbed one another and hugged hard.
"Remember," hollered Decker, "We all have to be thinking of my locker."
Swoosh! The four friends flew past the branches and shot down the hollow trunk. They seemed to be gaining speed as they zipped through the magical tickly roots. The roots did tickle and the kids began to laugh. Then slam! They came to a bumpy stop. They were in darkness. There was a little bit of light sneaking in cracks in the wall and floor. They realized they were back in their school. They were not in front of, behind or inside of Decker's locker. They were on top of the locker. There was a small door on the top of the locker with a combination lock.
"Quick, use your combo, Decker," said Prescot.
Decker grabbed hold of the lock and ripped through his combo number.
"It doesn't work!" Decker declared.
"Neither does mine!" said Natalle.
"Mine won't work either!" exclaimed Prescot.
"Check out the lock," suggested Tamika, "The numbers are reversed."
"I'll try my number again," said Decker, "Except this time I'll do it backwards."
Decker's combo didn't work, nor did anyone else. Then Natalle came up with an idea, "Decker, try your locker number."
"1313 won't work!" responded Decker.
"3131!" said Prescot.
When Decker tried 3131 the lock slide off and the door popped open.
"How are we supposed to fit down there?" asked Natalle.
"The same way we fit through the tree," answered Tamika, "One big hug."
The four friends squished in real close and hug each other really hard and jumped. Down when the kids and for a moment they were jammed in the locker together. Then the locker door swung open and the students spilled out onto the floor with the contents of the locker flying everywhere. When Decker sat up, he realized that he was staring at the shoes of the principal.
"Where have you been?" asked the Principal.
"We were stuck in the locker!"
"We escaped a dragon that turns into a wildebeest!"
"Cargo helped us; he's a wolf that can turn into a lion!"
"It all started with the door in the back of the locker!"
The principal listened to everyone, then he suggested that the four storytellers write down there fantastic tales and hand them into him by 9 o'clock the next morning.
The principal read the stories and he was so impressed that he had them published in the school newspaper. Then all of the students in the school read the stories. Everyone was blown away by the stories. From that day on, Decker, Prescot, Natalle and Tamika never had trouble walking the halls. Whenever the four friends were seen, the students would step back and let them pass. They were never late for class again. The back of the locker never opened again. Decker was never again lockered out.
The End
