Mary Frances O'Brien was an ambitious

 A dog named Scout

Page 1.

Mary Frances O'Brien was an ambitious High School senior with a bright future and a desire to succeed. She was beautiful, intelligent and popular in school with a passion for science and mathematics. With a 4.5 grade point average she had already been accepted by a number of prestigious universities making her family extremely proud. She worked part-time as an assistant manager at a nearby pharmacy after school and used the money to pay for her first car. It was a 1965 Red Volkswagen Bug recently restored as an Auto Shop project at her school. Mary downplayed her position at the pharmacy pointing out to her parents that she and the owner were the only employees as well as the owner being a close family friend.  Life in Mary's eye's was a gift from God in her world and she cherished her family and friends never allowing the sometimes harsh negative realities of the world to overtake her loving spirit. She was an old fashion girl of sorts for a young woman not yet eighteen and her mother often commented that Mary was an old soul at heart. This relationship often brought mother and daughter closer together when life’s many challenges meant the most. Mary was an only child, however; her two dearest friend's a horse named “Cinder” and a golden retriever named “Scout” made up for that. At almost 10 years old Scout still had the spirit of a puppy and shared all of Mary's deepest secrets, losses and greatest triumphs.

Scout just wasn't a family pet but a loved and adored member of the O'Brien family. He was Mary's best friend and the center of her life through thick and thin. They grew up together with pictures of their adventures hanging in just about every room of their home. There was one of Scout when he was six months old surly not enjoying one of his first visits to the Veterinarian for something more than vaccinations. On this occasion he received four sutures just above his left eyebrow after an encounter with a neighbors pig who refused to play ball? And there was another when Scout brought an uninjured baby skunk into the kitchen and dropped it into his water bowl and immediately returned with another. But the best was two summers ago when on one particular Sunday afternoon Scout drug a fallen tree branch into the living room with a large hornets nest attached to it. Mary's Dad was attacked and stung by several angry hornets during his favorite football game. To make matters worse he was accidentally sprayed in the face with hornet spray when Mary's Mom came to the rescue on full auto? 

Cinder on the other hand was Mary's anchor to nature and a horse she and her father rescued from Nevada almost 9 years ago. Cinder was one of those “Chestnut Mare Beware” type of horses but Mary knew different and so did Cinder. Cinder was fearless but did have her moments but she bonded to Mary and accepted Scout as one of her own.  Everyday after school and before work both Mary and Scout cared for Cinder on the families fifty acre ranch just a mile south of town. Often the trio rode the property together with Cinder at times allowing Scout a ride on her back while sitting right in front of Mary. Sometimes Scout would run ahead of them chasing ground squirrels which he could never catch but he did alert Cinder of their hazardous leg breaking mounds and dens. Together on some lazy summer days they watched the slow moving clouds drift across a pale blue sky or spend many a late evening under a silvery moon lit night eating S'mores cooked over a camp fire and watching the stars. They were more than just a girl with a horse and a dog, they were what was good about life in this world.

Tim zipped up the front of his green jump suit

 Animal Crackers

Page 3.

Tim zipped up the front of his green jump suit and slipped the five dollar bill into his pocket and met Will who appeared nervous standing in the hallway. Just then a bell began to ring rather loudly as Will turned the Tim and said, “ we can’t be late or else, we’ve got to hurry. Will darted down the hallway and entered through a set of double doors  marked mess hall with Tim right behind him. Twenty boy’s about Tim’s age where all seated at a large oak table very similar to a picnic table with Sergeant Collins standing in the corner of the room smoking a cigarette and watching intently. Before the two had a chance to sit down Sergeant Collins yelled out, “ Jones and the new kid, come here”.  Will looked frightened as he glanced at Tim as they both came to attention in front of Sergeant Collins. “You know the rules Jones”, barked Sergeant Collins as he deliberately blew cigarette smoke into Will’s face causing him to cough.  “As you know Jones”, he continued, “ tomorrow just happens to be Friday, and that’s clean up day at Crittenden Zoo”. 

Sergeant Collins instructed the two boys to return to the table but it wasn’t before he walked over to Will’s plate and grabbed the boiled hot dog and slice of white bread and gave it to a rather large young man named Opus. As Sergeant Collins lit another cigarette and left the mess hall in a trail of smoke Opus swallowed the hot dog in one bite and just as quickly asked Tim if he had any money.  Opus was tall for his age and suffered with a lazy eye and a missing front tooth that added to his thug appearance and mentality. He again asked Tim if he had any money which caused Will to tell him to leave Tim alone. Opus picked up Will’s plate and licked the remaining portion of white corn and apple sauce off the plate with his tongue and pointed at Tim and said, “if I find out you got money boy, your ass is mine”. Tim was just about to give Opus his five dollar bill when Sergeant Collins returned to the mess hall and said to Tim, “I do hope you and Opus are getting along because tomorrow you’ll have the opportunity to work together at the zoo, we leave a 5 am and you don‘t want to hold me up.”.

After dinner both boys returned to their room and after a bed check and head count by Sergeant Collins Will told Tim all about the clean up day at Crittenden Zoo. “Listen Tim, Collins has got some sort of arrangement with some official at Crittenden and basically we’re being used as free labor and Collins pockets the money. Tim laid in his bed somewhat stunned as Will continued on, “ Opus is Collins muscle and I’ve seen him beat up kids for Collins who get out of line”.  Will warned Tim to never let Opus know he was holding any money or anything of value if he doesn’t want it stolen. Tim couldn’t sleep all night thinking about his Father a murderer on death row and his Mother a addict and  missing and his present situation. Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door as Sergeant Collins appeared blowing his brass whistle until both boys jumped from their beds at attention. “ You’ve go ten minutes you two, just ten minutes until the van leaves so get ready”.

Miss Herbert seemed oblivious

Animal Crackers

Page 2

Miss Herbert seemed oblivious to Sergeant Collins behavior as he stared defiantly at Tim for the apparent interruption and walked toward them from around his desk with a slight limp. Miss Herbert turned away and said, “ Tim’s here for an extended stay, would you see to it he’s checked in and assigned a room”. Tim watched the slender middle aged woman briskly walk down the dark hallway of the building and disappear into a office and lock the door behind her. It was at that moment he found himself face to face with Sergeant Collins who reeked of cigarette smoke and cheap after shave. Sergeant Collins was a balding man with a deep scar under his left eye and a permanent bump on his forehead the size of a quail egg, he suddenly snapped to attention placing his nose just a inch from Tim’s. “I have one rule and one rule only here at Madison’s kid and that is you step out of line just once and that will be the last time you do”. Tim remained silent even though his heart was nearly beating out of his chest but he wasn’t a stranger to intimidation by others with or without any authority.

Sergeant Collins continued, “ I know all about you kid, I read your file and I know your old man is going to fry for what he did and I hope it’s soon”. Tim could barely contained himself from breaking down to either tears or escape when suddenly Sergeant Collins blew a brass colored whistle that hung around his neck. From down the hall came the sound of running footsteps and a red faced boy about Tim’s age quickly stopped at the front desk and immediately came to attention. “Look forward”, shouted Sergeant Collins, “ and why is my ashtray full again, Jones”.  The young man didn’t blink as he emptied the ashtray in a nearby waste paper basket and returned to the desk. “Don’t let it happen again, Jones or you will suffer the consequences”. The young boy with the red face again came to attention as Sergeant Collins directed him to take Tim to his room and change into the Madison uniform for dinner.

Tim followed the red face boy down the darken hallway and up a flight of stairs to the second floor where they stopped at room number ten. Inside were to beds and a writing desk with a small closet and a large picture window half covered with cobwebs. “Don’t minds those”, said the red faced boy who introduced himself as Wilfred Jones but people around here just call me Will. Tim walked across the room and sat down on one of the beds, and it was then that he spoke for the first time. “My names Tim Rogers and I never though I’d find myself in a place like this”.  Will turned to Tim and said, “don’t let Sergeant Collins scare you Tim, he’s more of a prisoner then we are you know”. Tim nodded his head and replied, “ prisoners, is this what this place is a prison of kid‘s ?’ Will stopped for a moment but didn’t answer as he handed Tim a light green jumpsuit from the closet. “I hope this fit’s you”, he said, “ now why don’t you try it on while I wait outside, it’s almost time for dinner”.

Timothy J. Rogers sat quietly and stared ahead

 Animal Crackers

By Larry J. Dellinges

Timothy J. Rogers sat quietly and stared ahead watching the courtroom clock reach 4 pm. while his court appointed attorney huddled across the bench with Judge Jones who raised his eyebrows and then nodded his head in agreement. Timothy, age 14 was a shy and quiet young man with good grades in school and never in trouble with the law but now that his father was convicted of murder and presently sat on death row and his drug addicted mother was nowhere to be found. With no family or friends to take young Tim in his fate was now up to family court and it appeared his new found status would be that as a ward of the state. It was now just a few minutes after four when Judge Jones recommended Tim would spend the next four years in Madison Juvenile Home until his eightieth birthday. Judge Jones quickly left the court room and just as quickly Tim found himself sitting in a Sheriffs van at the gates of Madison a state run facility for orphans. It was remarkable that Tim ever reached this point in his short life left with only memories of mental and physical abuse from both his mother and father but Tim had a forgiving soul and his spirit was his life line to the future.

The iron gates to Madison slowly closed behind him as if Tim was being swallowed up by a fire breathing dragon and with just the clothes on his back and a five dollar bill in his pocket at tall leggy woman with grey streaked hair fashioned in a bun met him at the front steps of Madison. “Timothy I assume”, asked the woman who reached out and touched the shoulder. Tim could only shake his head finding it difficult to speak as the reality of the situation began to take hold. “I’m Miss Herbert”, the woman in her mid-fifties said, “ and I’m the director of Madison’s home of wayward children”. Tim tired to appear he was listening but he stood frozen while he gazed at the many faces that now peered at him through the windows of the three story building. “So, your impressed with this old building”, Miss Herbert continued, “it was built in 1881 by some of the same people who built our railroad back in the day”.  Miss Herbert continued with her history lesson and mentioned the building was originally a bank and then the counties first firehouse and then a  jail before its conversion to a youth home. 

Something deep inside Tim felt uneasy about Madison as well as Miss Herbert and it was more than just his current situation. Tim closed his eyes and tired to black out all the sights and sounds around him but it was useless and before he had a chance to clear his thoughts Miss Herbert grabbed his arm tightly and pulled him through the dark wooden front doors of Madison and said in a hurried tone, “ lets get you settled in”.  As they stepped inside Tim noticed a elderly man wearing a sheriffs uniform sitting at a dimly lit desk with his face buried in a newspaper. As Miss Herbert directed Tim toward the deputy Tim read the name plate on the desk as Sergeant Collins. At first Sergeant Collins was unaware that anyone had even entered the building as he continued to read with only cigarette smoke to greet them. Miss Herbert cleared her throat as Sergeant Collins slammed his newspaper down in anger and took a final drag from his cigarette before putting it out in a ashtray overflowing with butts .

The Halloween get together was just an hour away

Page 2. 

The Halloween get together was just an hour away as Penny's mother braided strands of gold and silver thread into her daughters hair putting the finishing touches on a beautiful Prairie Princess. Nelly watched intently while laying across Penny's bed and wondered if she would be next in line for the hair treatment? At last they were done giving Penny the first real opportunity to take one last look at herself in the mirror before leaving. Penny closed her eye's for a second and then quickly opened them as if awaking from a dream. Her reflection from the mirror was radiant from this child's point of view wearing a loose fitting shirt with matching pants that seemed to flow and swirl like prairie grass in the wind each time she made the slightest movements. Her shirt was the color of the darkening night sky and her pants were a deep forest green giving her the appearance of a sunset especially after her mother draped a silver silk cape across her shoulders. Penny's parents smiled at one another as Penny, Mark and Nelly piled into the families truck and headed out to a Halloween party that would be like no other!

Well, the High School gym was packed with demons, goblins, and witches not to mention every super hero on the planet including Mars and the Moon? One parent was Freddy and three others were Micheal Meyers and one person wore a presidential mask and he spend the entire evening in the back of the Sheriffs patrol car just for his own safety? Anyway, the older kids had a water balloon fight in the parking lot until Mark decided throwing an egg at the mayor was funny and he ended up in the back of the Sheriffs patrol car with the president for the rest of the night. While inside the gym spooky music drowned out the laughter as well as screams of terror mostly from the little ones who weren't really sure why they had to be frightened just for a piece of candy? Most the treats and the candies were home made with some store bought stuff but one rancher brought several gallons of what he called clear water that only the adults could drink?

Penny's costume was the talk of the town but not for the reasons you might think. Some folks took offense still believing in the curse of the dead oak tree while others asked Penny's parents to leave. Fear and superstition is a powerful emotion causing the weakest of human beings to make the worst choices and it was for that very reason the old oak tree still stood. There was however one thing our fear stricken town folk didn't know and that was the fact that the dead oak tree sat directly on the far east corner of James property. Penny's father had seen and heard enough and it wasn't the first time the thought had crossed his mind of cutting down the dead tree once and for all. Like any good rancher worth his sand he never left home without his trusty rifle and chainsaw and tonight he would change a few minds and perhaps put an end to a hundred years or so of bad thinking?

Page 3.

Mr. James wasn't a man who wasted time just like all real ranchers do and when the town folk saw him leaving the High School Parking lot and travel hell bent down a dirt road toward the old oak tree those Halloween festivities came to an abrupt stop. The Sheriff was the first to follow with the town mayor riding shotgun while the president and Mark still remained locked in the back seat of the patrol car. Mark had an idea on what his fathers intentions were and cheered him on as the mayors face got redder not knowing there were several pieces of egg shell still sticking to the back of his bald head. Penny and her mother along with Nelly jumped into the back of a neighbors pick up and together with what seemed like the whole town headed up after them. Just as everyone had arrived Mr. James stood in front of the towering dead oak and started up his chainsaw with one single pull. The sheriff attempted to blind Mr. James with his flood lights but bright lights never stopped a determined man with his mind made up and he knew it. The mayor begged Mr. James to stop and threatened him with arrest for destruction of a county landmark but his pleas and threats fell upon deaf ears.

The whole town surrounded the dead tree and stood silent like a flock of crows mourning the death of one of their own. The sheriff on the other hand had attempted to charge Mr. James like a raging bull but fail to anticipate the quickness and agility of a hard working cattle rancher. Mr. James quickly stepped to one side causing the sheriff to face plant himself at the base of the tree bouncing backward like a rubber ball. Stunned but uninjured the sheriff slowly sat up while Mr. James put down the chainsaw and helped the fallen sheriff to his feet. It was at that very moment the mystery of the dead oak tree would be revealed to everyone. Suddenly the ground beneath the two men began to give way as they stood at the base of the looming tree. Both men quickly jumped back as the ground nearest the oak caved in revealing a deep shaft twisted with a massive root system reassembling a funnel shaped spider wed. There near the bottom lay two skeletal remains of a man and a young child huddled together and holding hands. Near their feet the ground took on a golden glow that grew even brighter from the light of the sheriff's flashlight. Some from the crowd peered into the hole while others turned and ran with fear.

It wasn't long before Mr. James discovered the real truth about the Ghost Child of Dead Oak Creek after taking a closer look at the ground round the hole. It was a trap designed by Jacob Davis to protect one of his many gold cashes but on that faithful night so many years ago it took the life of both him and his precious daughter. The ground in front of the oak was purposely rigged with the intent to give way and in his attempt to save his daughter he too became entangled and trapped in an underground tree of death. The bodies were removed and given a christian burial in the towns local cemetery. Mr. James was the rightful owner to the gold discovered on his property but he donated it all to a major hospital for children under the name of Jenny Davis. The tree that stood as a tombstone for all those years was cut down and the wood was stored near the high school gym and only used on Halloween in honor to Jacob and Jenny.  There is no telling how many more of these deadly gold cashes Jacob Davis rigged in town before losing his life and maybe it was or wasn't the only one? But when Penny returned home on that night with a bag full of candy there was one just a little heavier than the others. Folded inside an old piece of brown paper and wrapped with some blue cotton twine was a large gold nugget and a note that read, “Treat or Treat” from Jenny.

Both Enapay and Kangee turned

Page 6.

Both Enapay and Kangee turned toward each other and hugged one another as tears ran down both their faces never having experienced a true life threatening event in their young lives. They both hadn’t realized that the White Spirit was now gone and only the bodies of the dead wolves remained. It was then the sound of hoof beats broke the silence as their Indian ponies galloped toward them and stopped. But their ponies weren’t alone and they were followed by a pair of chestnut stallions with two mares and their colts. As Enapay and Kangee rode out of the hidden canyon with their prized herd in tow the White Spirit bid them farewell from a high mountain top never to be seen again.

The End

Enapay and Kangee climbed a sloping hill

 Page 5.

Enapay and Kangee climbed a sloping hill that partially hid them from the watchful eye’s of the White Spirit or so they thought and crawled on their bellies blending into the tall grass that surrounded them. Enapay counted fifty in the herd while several foals chased each other across a flat meadow while their mothers grazed nearby. Suddenly the White Spirit lifted his head pointing his nose in their direction and began to snort and whinny tapping his front hoof as two young chestnut stallions raced toward him. Almost instantly they joined the White Spirit who galloped full speed toward the hidden pair circling their two ponies forcing them into the grazing herd. Enapay and Kangee dare not move as they watched the two chestnut stallions nip at their ponies hindquarters while the rest of the herd ran to inspect the herds two new members. The White Spirit stood motionless almost taunting the two to show themselves and he screamed and flattened his ears and shook his head in disapproval. Kangee suddenly stood up and faced the White Spirit from her hiding place while the mighty white horse didn’t move almost insisting that Enapay show himself also.

Now it was Enapay’s turn so he quickly stood up from the tall green grass and slowly walked toward his sister wondering if these would be their last moments on earth. As if on trial the two stood silent facing a legend they had heard about their entire lives when suddenly from nowhere a pack of grey timber wolves appeared and began to circle the White Spirit. Kangee ran to the bottom of the small hill and quickly picked up Enapay’s spear but as she reached for her brothers bow and arrows she was knocked off her feet by a black colored wolf. The black wolf spun around her it’s hackles glistening in the fading sunlight with it’s white fangs snapping wildly just missing her arms and  legs. Enapay ran to his sisters aid drawing his knife and charging the black wolf now joined by another but before he could reach her the shadow of the White Spirit blocked out the sun momentarily. The white stallion jumped completely over the young Indian brave and landed instantly on the back of one the wolves making a loud crackling sound. Enapay grabbed his sisters hand and helped her up and at the same time drew back his bow and arrow.

One wolf lay dead while the others began to close in on the White Spirit who placed himself between the young Indians and the attacking wolves. Enapay fired his bow striking a gray wolf in the hind leg causing the animal to turn tail and run but there were still four left. The White Spirit again turned and the faced a charging wolf while another buried it’s fangs into the white stallion’s back leg only to receive a kick to the chest killing it instantly. Kangee threw her brothers spear at one of the three remaining wolves but missed her mark causing the largest of the wolves to refocus it’s attention on her. But the White Spirit grabbed the large wolf by the tail and flung it aside like a leaf in a wind storm. The wolves now having lost two of their own and one injured had enough of the fight on this day and just as quickly as they had appeared the ran off into the timber with all three howling in defeat.