CLOUDLAND BOOKS
I like to call Cloudland “soft fantasy,” in that it contains the mysteries associated with a different world without some of the upsetting themes sometimes found in this genre. Young (ages 6-11) readers will identify with the adventures of the Cloudland kids in a strange world in the sky, with surprising origins for our weather features like snow and lightning. The clever illustrations by the two artists I have worked with complement the development of the stories nicely. Believe it or not, the inspiration for these stories was a poem I wrote way back in high school. I hope you like them, and if you do, give me some online reviews. Book # 5, Battle For Cloudland is out now!
“Wonderful book for children struggling to fit in.”
“What a wonderful depiction of the power of family, unconditional love, and how our differences make us unique. No two snowflakes are the same even if they look alike.”
J. Cato
Amazon Review of Cloudland
“Wonderful story for all ages!”
“Beautifully illustrated and a captivating story.
I need to get more copies to share.”
C. Fackler
Amazon Review of Return to Cloudland
AVAILABLE AT:
Book #1: Cloudland
Jane and Robbie are having trouble making friends after moving to a new town. When they ask their Uncle Josh for advice, he tells them an amazing story about how two twin Snowflakes from Cloudland handled an even bigger problem. The twins must overcome great obstacles to try to save their family, and they get help from someone who shouldn’t even be on Cloudland – a human from Earth! The story gives Jane and Robbie ideas for handling their own problem.
Available in paperback (Amazon) and eBook at the online stores above.
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1) Jane and Robbie
Jane and Robbie had a problem, a big problem. They had recently moved to a new town, and it seemed okay. But they just couldn’t seem to make new friends.
“We’re nice kids, right?” Jane asked Robbie. Before he could respond, she went on. “I just don’t know what to do.”
Nine-year-old Robbie sat on a bench with his legs outstretched in front of their Uncle Josh’s log-style house in the woods. His older sister Jane strode back and forth in front of him, her blond ponytail flipping up every time she turned. Both kids wore sweaters in the winter chill.
The morning sun reflected off a patch of snow here and there, which Jane stepped over as she paced. Her hands occasionally waved in the air when she spoke. She stopped and faced Robbie.
“What’s different about us?” she asked, shrugging her shoulders. “I mean, are we really so different from the other kids?” She stamped her foot.
Robbie crossed his arms and frowned but said nothing.
“Anyone on our street offer to play with you?” Jane asked with her arms out.
Robbie glanced up as he thought about it. “Not really, I guess,” he replied.
Jane threw her hands up. “I thought things would just work out.” She made a fist and smacked it into her palm. “But the good thing is, we’ve got some time now over winter break to come up with a plan.”
Robbie nodded his blond head several times before he repeated, “Yeah, we’ve got some time.”
A moment passed. Then both stared at each other at the same instant. “Uncle Josh!” they shouted. Scrambling up the steps and crossing the porch, they jostled each other trying to reach the door first. Robbie won and pushed open the door.
Trotting into their Uncle Josh’s living room, they found him settled in his easy chair in front of a crackling fire in the fireplace. A full white beard framed his contented face as he turned to reach for an open book on the side table. A cat was plopped down on the rug. The two children came to a stop in front of their uncle’s chair, and he looked up, smiling.
Jane cleared her throat. “Uncle Josh,” she began, “we’ve got a problem. We can’t seem to make friends at our new house.” Then, giving examples as she went, she described the situation back home. As Jane talked, their uncle’s face went from a smile, to a frown, to a more thoughtful look.
When she finished, their uncle turned to look at Robbie.
“That about covers it,” Robbie said, folding his arms and nodding.
Their uncle gave his beard a little tug and regarded each of the children in turn. “Can’t make friends,” he repeated. “Wondering how you’re different from others,” he mused. “Well, I doubt there’s much that’s different about you children. I don’t know of course, but I bet the children in your new town have grown up together and haven’t met many new folks like you. It may just take a little longer than you thought.”
At this point he put down his book and produced a pipe, tapping with his finger in the bowl of the pipe a few times. “Yes, I’m sure you’ll find a way to connect to these other children,” he continued. “But you know what? I’ve got a story that might help, about two little ones that really were different, my favorite story. Would you like to hear it?”
Jane’s face brightened, and Robbie gave a thumbs up.
“Okay, get comfortable,” said their uncle, “and I’ll tell it to you.” Both children plopped down on the rug at his feet.
2) The Story
Freezy and Breezy had a problem, a big problem. Snowflake children, they lived in a wonderful world in the sky called Cloudland. There was no problem with that. However, they were also identical twins. That was the problem. “No two Snowflakes may look alike,” their parents Burr and Lacey had told them. It was apparently an old law of King Nature who ruled Cloudland. For the umpteenth time, the twins were talking about it. “It doesn’t seem fair,” said Freezy to his brother. “It’s not like we asked to be different.” When he examined Breezy, sitting on a little square stool like a sugar cube, he saw the same white, flat body, with four pointed arms and two pointed legs sticking out. And he saw an identical smile on the frosty white face.
Yes, they looked the same, but apparently no one else on Cloudland did. Breezy floated over and studied himself in a little mirror. “Yeah, just because it’s never happened before doesn’t mean it’s wrong, does it?” he asked. “Mom and Dad say we have to keep it a secret, so people think there’s one kid, not two. It’s not fair. We can’t even go outside, one at a time, and play with the other Snowflake kids.” Freezy looked through the window at the many Snowflake houses in the distance. “Yeah,” he added. “I guess they’re right. Someone would eventually find out we’re twins.” “Uh huh,” said Breezy. “Mom and Dad say that Snowflakes always tell the truth, no matter what. All it would take is someone asking me about a conversation they had with you. How would I answer that?” “Yup, just one slip up,” said Breezy, “and if King Nature finds out we’re twins, it means the end of our family! That’s the law.” They both peeked at their little door and shuddered, as if huge King Nature was on the outside trying to get in. Fear wasn’t an emotion that came naturally to them, but they felt it now, imagining the powerful king they had never seen. Breezy floated over to check the lock on the door. Usually when they talked about their problem, a sense of panic would set in and the twins would change the subject. But this time was different, at least for Freezy. “Since we’re the problem, we need to fix this,” he said in a hushed tone. Breezy raised his face in surprise. “What did you say?” Freezy repeated it and then suggested, “C’mon, let’s think of something we could do about it.” “All right,” said Breezy. “I’ll try.” So the twins concentrated. They brought up one idea after another and discussed it. But they found a weakness with each one and rejected it. As this discussion dragged on, the difficulties led to frustration. Freezy kicked a book across the room. “Why is this so hard?” He whined. But Breezy kept thinking and thinking, and then an idea occurred to him. “What if we run away and hide where no one can find us?” he asked. “The secret would stay a secret, and Mom and Dad would be safe!”
Book #2: Return to Cloudland
Jane and Robbie thought their uncle’s stories about Cloudland were just stories. All that changed when they were brought by winds to Cloudland to do something about an evil power that had taken over the land. Alone in this unfamiliar world, they encounter strange creatures, get separated, and use their wits to deal with unexpected challenges. It all comes to a dramatic conclusion as they discover and confront a dangerous foe in King Nature’s castle.
Available in paperback (Amazon) and eBook at the online stores above.
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1) Strange Weather
A cold wind whistled through the pine trees, bending the branches and carrying needles and twigs along with it. Robbie’s exposed cheeks shone pink, made numb by the constant sting of the wind.
“You should have worn a hat,” he called to his older sister, Jane, in a mocking tone as he watched her blond hair flap furiously around her face.
Stopping and holding her shoulder-length hair in place with one hand, she scooped up a pinecone from the path and threw it at him. As the pinecone sailed past, he made a motion with his arms like he was swinging a baseball bat. “The next one doesn’t miss,” she called back with a laugh.
“Most fun I’ve had in days,” he replied. “This wind is driving me nuts! Nothing but wind, wind, wind! I’ll take some snow, rain, sleet— anything at this point but wind.”
“Yeah,” said Jane, “I really anticipated this winter vacation with Uncle Josh, but this wind sucks my energy.”
They were headed to their uncle’s house now. As she walked along, Jane pulled a ribbon from her coat pocket and, with some difficulty, tied her hair back in a ponytail. “Remember when we asked Uncle Josh about the wind?” she continued.
“Yeah,” said Robbie. He replayed the scene, assuming a serious face. “So, Uncle Josh stares up at the sky and he says—Ow!”
“What?” Jane said, turning to face him. “No, he didn’t.”
“Sorry,” responded Robbie, rubbing his forehead. “Got hit by a twig or something in the wind.” He resumed, lowering his voice like his Uncle Josh’s. “Old Mr. North Wind’s acting up, but I’ve never known him to carry on this long.” Robbie paused, “You know, the way he said it was like he actually had known Mr. North Wind.”
“He was talking about Mr. North Wind from his Cloudland stories of course,” offered Jane. “And I can see how this wind we’re having could remind you of mean, nasty Mr. North Wind blowing down Cold Wind Mountain in those stories.”
Memories of sitting at Uncle Josh’s feet in front of the fire as he told stories about Cloudland flooded them both. Many times, they dreamed of being in that strange world in the sky.
“Cloudland,” their uncle had explained, “was a wonderful land ruled by King Nature and his principal assistant, Professor Because. They belonged to a race of people, relatively few in number, called the Witherin, who have four arms and blue skin. In the central part of Cloudland were large villages where many Snowflakes and their children lived. There were nice creatures called Bumbles and not-so-nice Wag Wag birds, angry, bothersome things who hopped through the air and snorted and talked way too much. The Striped River was the most wonderful thing in Cloudland. It made beautiful tinkling music as it flowed from the Shiver-me Forest and through Cloudland like a crystal rainbow.”
“Right. While we’re on the subject of Cloudland,” said Robbie, rubbing his forehead again, “do you remember when we brought up rainbows with him?”
“Yes!” Jane said. “I sure wasn’t expecting his response. Did you see his expression when we said we couldn’t remember the last time we’d seen a rainbow?”
“Yeah! That was weird.” Robbie added, shaking his head. “He said, ‘Something’s wrong. Something’s terribly wrong. The pool must be dry. Or worse.’ What did he mean by that?”
“I’m guessing another reference to Cloudland,” continued Jane, “but I have no idea what it means.” She squinted, and through the trees could just make out the clearing where their uncle’s timber frame house stood. She pointed to it. “Looks like we’ll make it back before—” she stopped mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open, and tried to make sense of all the strange thoughts and feelings running through her head.
The wind had stopped!
Robbie stared at Jane with his mouth open too, then turned his head from side to side. Neither of them spoke but stood perfectly still, listening. Finally, Robbie said, “My ears are ringing. It’s like turning off the leaf blower after it’s been running for a while.”
“Yes, but—” Jane stared at the cabin again, then back at Robbie. “I got the strangest feeling when the wind stopped. We’d better go find Uncle Josh.”
Robbie nodded, and the two of them started jogging down the path toward the clearing.
2) Two Visitors
With the sudden drop in wind noise, the kids now heard sounds all around them; a bird chirping, their feet shuffling through leaves and dirt on the path, and the swish of Jane’s coat sleeve against her coat. The return of these sounds was reassuring to both. But as Jane’s breathing sped up from the jogging, she whispered to herself, “I just can’t shake this feeling that more has changed than just the weather.”
Robbie started huffing and puffing too. He looked over and saw Jane talking to herself, concern on her face. He tried to make small talk between breaths. “Uncle Josh said something—about soup for lunch today—that sound good to you?”
Jane didn’t answer but quickened her pace as they entered the clearing of their uncle’s house. It was a two-story house in a log cabin style, two dormers in a roof sloping back, with a wide porch running the length of the front. The kids leaned over for a moment or two with their hands on their knees to catch their breath. Then, trotting up the steps, Jane opened the door and tossed her coat in a chair. “Are you here, Uncle Josh?” she called.
“Sure am,” came a man’s voice from the back of the house. “Be there in a minute.”
Robbie came in, still breathing deeply and rubbing his hands together, and tossed his coat in the chair, too.
A tall man with a white beard, wearing a colorful sweater, came in from the living room. “How was the walk?” asked their Uncle Josh with a wave toward the door. And then seeing their red faces he added with a smile, “or should I say run?” Not waiting for an answer, he went on. “I need to make an introduction, and then I think an adventure awaits. You should go of course, I’m getting too old for this sort of thing.”
Before they could even guess what this meant, into the room stumbled two very peculiar creatures. Resembling white beach balls a couple of feet high, with legs and arms sticking out in every direction, they almost rolled into the room. ”Jane and Robbie, meet Legs and Roly,” said Uncle Josh. “You may remember them from my Cloudland stories.”
Jane and Robbie stared. Their mouths dropped open, and Robbie brought both hands to his face. Jane even thought to pinch herself. No, she wasn’t dreaming. She glanced up, and her uncle winked at her. He had the most wonderful smile on his face.
She answered his smile with a stunned expression and said, “Uncle Josh, I need a moment.” She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then she went on in a halting voice, “The whole Cloudland thing. The cabin in the Shiver-me Forest. Griffis. Was that really you? And the balloon?” At this point she remembered the picture of a balloon on his wall next to the door and studied it. “The stories—your wonderful stories—are actually true?”
Her uncle shrugged his shoulders and kept smiling at her. Robbie stared at the Bumbles, speechless.
Jane and Robbie meet the Bumbles
Legs—or was it Roly—broke the silence. “Good day,” he said in a rhythmic, soft-toned voice. “We are Bumbles from Cloudland, which we believe your uncle has told you about. I’m Legs, and this is my brother Roly. We are very pleased to meet you. However, I’m afraid there isn’t much time to get acquainted properly.”
At this point Roly spoke up. “If I may ask, you’ve surely noticed the strange weather? It is but one indication of serious happenings in Cloudland. Even as we speak, King Nature is in desperate trouble.” At this last statement, both Bumbles threw several hands over their eyes and shuddered.
“I guessed something of the kind,” muttered Uncle Josh.
Roly continued. “We didn’t know what else to do, so we came to our dear friend Griffis here for help.” Both Bumbles looked up at Josh, or Griffis as they called him.
“We found Mr. East Wind,” added Legs, “and he was eager to help. He was able to confer with Professor Because who provided advice. We waited until Mr. North Wind had to refill his wind supply, and Mr. East Wind brought us here. He’s with us now.”
Jane and Robbie turned their heads, inspecting their surroundings, but saw nothing.
“Legs and Roly tell me they’ll need to return before old Mr. North Wind cranks up again,” broke in Uncle Josh. “They gave me a quick summary of the situation up there. I think we can really impact things because no one will expect help from outside Cloudland.”
He paused and gazed at Jane and Robbie. “As I said, I’m not as young as I used to be. I know this all sounds too fantastic. But I do know that you, Jane and Robbie, are smart and resourceful. I have faith that whatever needs to be done, you can do it.”
Jane’s and Robbie’s eyes went wide. “Uncle Josh,” Jane said slowly, then paused. “Are you saying Robbie and I should, uh, go to Cloudland, with uh, Mr. East Wind, to uh, face who knows what?”
Their uncle put an arm around each of the kids and gave them a hug. “My dears,” he said, “I have a sense for these things. I certainly have concerns, but King Nature is very important to all of us, and I believe we can help him.” He quickly described what little he’d learned from the Bumbles about the situation on Cloudland and finished with, “I’m hoping you’ll go.” He stepped back and examined each of them in turn.
Jane and Robbie looked back at their Uncle Josh and then at the Bumbles. Slowly they turned and faced each other. The Bumbles moved closer to Josh and held hands.
“Well, I thought Cloudland was just a story,” began Robbie, speaking slowly. “But here are Legs and Roly right in front of us. I don’t know what to say.”
“Me neither,” Jane replied, shaking her head. “I’m still trying to understand that this is real.”
“We do know a lot about Cloudland from Uncle Josh’s stories,” added Robbie, a bit more positively. “We’ll have that going for us.”
“Riiight,” said Jane slowly, and she crossed her arms and thought for a moment. She put her hands on her hips. “Robbie, I’m thinking that if Uncle Josh has this much faith in us, then maybe we should have some faith in him. What do you think?”
“Yep, I’m with you,” said Robbie, after a second or two. “Not sure what we’re getting into, but let’s do it.”
When the Bumbles heard that, they bounced around, trying to hug everyone with their short little arms. The kids couldn’t help but smile, and high-fived, more like low-fived really, Legs and Roly.
“Well I guess you’d better get your winter gear, then,” interrupted their uncle.
And in no time, they were outside with their winter coats and gloves on. Their uncle handed Jane a small sack. “Some trail mix and dried fruit for a snack,” he said. She stuck it in an inside pocket in her coat.
Now that they were ready to go, the kids said little, as a feeling of anxiety began to build up. This was really happening!
Jane hugged her uncle again and said, “If we’re not back when vacation is over, you’ll have to cover for us with Mom and Dad.”
“I will,” he replied, “but hopefully you’ll be back before then.”
At that, they glanced at the Bumbles nervously, wondering what would come next.
The answer came quickly. The air around them turned cloudy, and a rustling wind flapped their clothes and swirled around them like a soft whirlwind. A deep voice from somewhere in the wind said, “Don’t be afraid now.” But both of their bodies stiffened in surprise as they felt themselves being lifted into the air.
Book #3: Beyond Cloudland
King Nature needs help for a land no one knew existed, the neighboring world of Darkland. Bad things are going on there and they may be related to the disappearance of Robbie’s Uncle Josh. Robbie knows nothing of this until he and his friend Neely are summoned by the king and sent into Darkland. This weird land of perpetual half-light puts the boys in one dangerous situation after another. It’s a race at the end to escape two armies and see if they can restore some order, with the help of the most mysterious being of all.
Available in paperback (Amazon) and eBook at the online stores above.
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1) A Vision
The adventure started innocently enough.
Robbie had come with his best buddy Neely, short for Cornelius, to the winter carnival. Nothing special, just tents and thrill rides and game booths with different ways to take your money. A chain link fence kept kids from sneaking in, but didn’t stop the many carnival noises from carrying all over town. Robbie stepped carefully around mud from recent snow melt and smelled fresh hay, hot dogs grilling, and a faint odor of horse poop. A girl walking by hugging a teddy bear reminded him of his sister Jane, due home from school in a few days.
At that moment, a weird feeling began to take hold of Robbie. He shivered inside his coat. Did the temperature just drop? he asked himself. The carnival noise stopped. His vision became blurry to either side, but straight ahead he could see super clear, like through a telescope. As he stared, he could make out an object in the distance. It started moving toward him, seeming to float above the ground. How creepy! He blinked and could now make out a person, someone who began to appear vaguely familiar.
Then his body tensed and the hair on his arms stood up. The vision in front of him was his Uncle Josh! It was a vision so lifelike, Robbie took a half step forward and reached out to touch it. But his hand only touched air where his uncle’s face should have been. The face assumed a sad expression when Robbie pulled his hand back. As he watched, his uncle opened his mouth to say something. But instead, the vision began to break apart, the details of his uncle’s face slowly dissolving.
“Wait, Uncle Josh, don’t go,” begged Robbie, reaching out with both arms. “Please,” he added. But he couldn’t stop it. Before long, all traces of the vision had disappeared, and his perception of his surroundings gradually returned. Robbie felt empty, abandoned, and sick to his stomach. A longing for his uncle flooded over Robbie. Uncle Josh meant everything to him.
A picture of his uncle’s house appeared in Robbie’s mind. A house in the woods where he and his sister Jane spent vacations hiking, building campfires under the stars, and listening to their uncle’s stories. Then, almost a year ago, his uncle had disappeared. It was one of the worst days of Robbie’s life. I did just see his face, didn’t I? Robbie asked himself.
2) A Balloon Ride
Robbie continued to stare straight ahead and tried to shake off the chill he still felt. It was then he became aware that Neely had moved away a step and was watching him intently. Uh oh. I bet he’s wondering what just happened. But I sure don’t want to talk about it.
Robbie made a show of slapping his arms across his chest a couple of times and said, “Is it getting colder or is it just me?” Neely’s expression didn’t change much. Before he could say anything, however, Robbie asked, “So what do you want to do now?”
Neely’s puzzled expression slowly became a smile. They had already stuffed themselves on hot dogs and tried their hand at some of the arcade games. “More food?” chuckled Neely, peering over his glasses at the next food stand.
Robbie didn’t take him seriously and faked a punch at Neely’s shoulder. Robbie’s friend was a little chubby it was true, but he was fun to be around. He was the best joke teller in school.
Neely shrugged his shoulders, and they wandered on down the midway, the shadows from the tents thickening and spreading with the
rays of the setting sun. Colorful lights began coming on throughout the fairgrounds. Glancing up, Robbie saw some bright green fabric billowing in the wind. “It’s a balloon! Come on!” he said, grabbing Neely’s arm and starting to run.
Rounding one of the tents and dodging a cluster of little kids, they skidded to a halt in front of a stand selling hot air balloon rides. “Let’s go for a Ride! Very Safe Balloon!” said a sign, with a drawing of people on the ground holding a balloon with ropes.
“Let’s do it!” Robbie said.
“I’m not too crazy about that idea,” answered Neely, folding his arms and shaking his head.
“C’mon,” urged Robbie. “It’ll be cool. We’ll have a great view up there of the carnival and the whole countryside.”
“He’s right,” chimed in the balloon pilot. “Everyone’s amazed how quiet and smooth the balloon is and how far you can see. It’s completely safe, but trust me, it’ll be a ride you’ll never forget!”
Despite his reservations, Neely finally gave in. “You did say you were paying for this, right Robbie?” he added with a skeptical tone of voice. He glanced all around nervously. “I think I want to remember what the place looks like,” he muttered. “In case things don’t go as advertised.”
After receiving instructions from their pilot, they climbed into a large wicker basket. Lines from the basket went up to a golden cylinder that connected to an inflated balloon the color of a green lollipop. Held in a metal frame over their heads was a gas burner and a set of controls. “All set?” asked the man. “Here we go!” The pilot used a knob to open a gas valve and increase the flame size, like on a gas stove. This heated more air to keep the balloon at full inflation. The boys heard a chuffing sound and felt the heat on the back of their necks. As the lines tightened, the basket slid around on the ground and wobbled softly. Neely pressed his lips together and tightly gripped the edge of the basket.
“Here we go!” echoed Robbie excitedly, despite his nerves being a bit on edge.
Robbie felt a jerk and the balloon began to riseAn electric wench made a clicking sound, reeling out a line connected to the basket. Two other men each played out a line by hand anchored to the ground. The basket slowly rose to the top of the Ferris wheel. Too late, Robbie realized his Mom probably wouldn’t have approved.
Book #4: Cloudlands & Darklands
Blueworld has been struck by a dangerous lightning weapon, yet the rogue leader who developed it isn’t on Cloudland or Darkland. King Nature calls on the kids from Blueworld, but they are attacked by storm winds and separated. The girls fly between different lands to help put up a shield, and to provide coordination with the boys, prisoners in the rogue leader’s castle! They will battle new creatures and encounter life-threatening dangers in trying to bring down this madman before he strikes again. And to do it, they will have to team with their former Darkland enemy.
Available in paperback (Amazon) and eBook at the online stores above.
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1) Imani’s Project
Neely looked back over his shoulder at Robbie and said, “Hey Robbie, what happens to a frog’s car when it breaks down?” He waited. “Don’t know? It gets toad away. Get it? T-o-a-d.”
Robbie shook his head while chuckling. The two of them walked along the side of a road, each holding a large bag and stopping occasionally to pick up a piece of trash with their gloved hands. They had just moved past a car parked on the shoulder when Neely told his joke.
Robbie took another step or two. Then he noticed a small pine cone, scooped it up and tossed it at Neely, hitting him in the back.
“Ow,” yelled Neely, as he whipped around to see a big grin on Robbie’s face. “Okay dude. Game on!” he called, smiling. He found and launched a pinecone of his own at Robbie.
“Stop it! Stop it!” commanded a girl’s voice up ahead of them.
The boys turned their heads to see Neely’s younger sister, Imani, standing twenty feet away with her hands on her hips.
“If you’re just gonna play around, then I don’t need your help,” she continued.
“Now ’Mani,” replied Neely soothingly, “we were just having some fun.”
“You can have fun later,” she answered abruptly. “This service project is important to me and I need it done right.”
“Sorry Imani,” piped up Robbie. “I kinda started it. But look,” he added, holding up his open bag, “we’re getting lots of trash. We really think your spring break girls’ club project is important. Don’t we Neely?” he asked, nodding at his friend.
“Sure do,” responded Neely, bobbing his head up and down and smiling. “Say, this reminds me of a joke . . .”
Imani threw up her hand to stop him and scowled at her brother. She then turned and smiled sweetly at Robbie. “I do appreciate your help, Robbie. Very nice of you to volunteer.”
“Actually,” corrected Neely, raising the index finger of his glove, “I’m the one who—”
A glare from Imani stopped him short.
Robbie looked from Neely to Imani, coughed and said, “Well, another twenty minutes should about get the job done.”
They picked up their bags and started down the road again with Imani in the lead. They were dressed in sweatshirts, coats and gloves. The morning had opened up into a beautiful spring day, but the air remained a little chilly, especially out of the sun. The road wound through a heavily wooded area that gave off a nice pine scent. Only an occasional passing car interrupted the quiet of the woods as they moved along.
Then Imani stopped, looking ahead and shading her eyes with her glove. “There’s someone standing at that intersection,” she said. She peered closer and then jerked her head around. “Robbie, isn’t that your sister Jane?”
“Naw, can’t be,” he replied, jogging up to where Imani stood. “She’s at that weather camp, not due back for a few days.”
Then the girl up ahead called to them. “Hey guys! I thought I’d find you here.”
“Well, I’ll be,” whispered a surprised Robbie.
Lugging their large bags, the three of them awkwardly trotted down the road to join Jane.
When the kids, a little breathless, got to where Jane stood waiting, everyone hugged. “We didn’t expect you back this soon,” said Robbie.
“Yeah,” replied Jane. “But something came up.” She paused for a moment, looking at each of them as if trying to decide what to say next. “Did you hear about the lightning storm in Europe that caused a bunch of damage?”
“Yeah, it’s all over the news,” answered Neely. “Killed some cattle and birds, started some fires, that sort of thing. Pretty weird.”
Jane looked at them again, especially Robbie and Neely before she responded. “My mentor at weather camp, Dr. Simmons, told me nothing like it had ever happened before, ever. I called our Uncle Josh, Robbie, and… he said… Cloudland may need help!”
2) Josh’s Place
Robbie and Neely opened their eyes wide and exchanged looks.
But it was Imani who spoke up. “Uh, Cloudland? What’s that?” she asked.
The three older kids looked a bit uncomfortable, waiting for someone else to answer.
“So, Imani,” started Neely.
But Jane quickly interrupted him. “Guys, our uncle’s house isn’t far, I just came from there. Imani, if it’s okay with you, let’s walk over there and I, uh we, can explain on the way.”
Imani gave them all a puzzled look. Then she glanced up and down the cross street where they stood, her two black braids swinging back and forth. “I suppose that’d be okay,” she said. “We can leave our trash bags here. Another work crew is coming up this street to collect ‘em.”
“Sounds like a plan,” offered Neely.
They tied a knot in each bag and grouped them together on the side of the road. Then they took off their reflector vests and put them with the bags. Imani inspected everything and seemed satisfied. Jane started down the road they had been on and everyone followed. After a hundred yards or so, they turned into a narrow lane. Branches from trees on either side grew over the road, creating a pretty tunnel effect.
“So,” Jane began, picking up the conversation again, “first things first. Robbie and Neely, Uncle Josh believes we can expect King Nature to send for us!”
“Whoa!” Robbie replied.
Neely whistled.
Imani cleared her throat. “What in the world are you guys talking about?” she asked, her voice now revealing a trace of irritation.
Jane started to answer, but Neely held up his hand. “Let me try, Jane,” he offered.
He looked up in thought for a second as they walked, leaves and pine needles crunching under their feet, and then turned to Imani.
“Little sis,” he started. She frowned, but he went on. “Do you remember a year or two ago, during the winter carnival, I kinda, well actually when Robbie and I kinda disappeared for a few days?”
“Yeah…” she replied slowly. “Never understood what happened then.”
“Mm-hmm,” Neely said. “Now, here’s the hard part. I’ll just go ahead and throw it out there. We went to a land up in the sky called Cloudland.” He pointed up at the clouds, mostly blocked by the trees, flipping his eyes upward and then down at Imani. “There’s a lot of strange people and things there, ruled by King Nature. And a land next door called Darkland. And our weather comes from there—.”
“Wait a minute, hold it!” Imani stopped him, standing still and putting up her hands. “You can’t be serious?”
“But he is, Imani,” added Robbie, with his arms out, “I know it sounds like too much to believe.”
Imani looked up at Jane, and Jane smiled back and put her arm around her. Then she looked ahead and started them walking again.
“You’re probably thinking if something like this was true, you’d know about it, right?” Jane asked.
Imani nodded.
“We all thought that, too,” Jane continued, “until we saw it for ourselves.”
They were entering a clearing, in the back of which stood a two-story log cabin-style house. A porch ran along the front, partially blocked by a growth of lilac bushes in need of trimming. A breeze carried their pleasant scent toward the walkers. Up on the porch, a man rocked lazily in one of several rocking chairs scattered around.
“Uncle Josh!” yelled Robbie, and he started to jog toward the house. The rest of the group followed at a slower pace.
Josh stood up and waved. Tall, with white hair and beard, he wore jeans and a tan coat with a furry collar. Robbie scampered up the front steps and the two of them hugged.
“Hello, welcome!” called Josh, as the rest of the group arrived. “There’s some bottles of water on the tray there if anyone’s thirsty,” he said, indicating a small table on the porch. He went to Jane and Neely and gave each of them a hug.
As he reached Imani, Neely spoke up. “Mr. Griffis, I think you’ve met my sister, Imani?”
“Yes, very pleased to see you again, Imani.” Josh said, shaking her hand. “Have you been able to keep that brother of yours in line since I last saw him?” he asked with a wink, nodding at Neely.
Imani giggled and said, “Oh no, Mr. Griffis, that’s too big a job for just one person.”
Everyone laughed.
Jane trotted up the steps for a bottle of water and her manner turned serious as she stepped back down. “Uncle Josh, about that really bad lightning blast a few days ago. You believe it means there’s problems on Cloudland. We were just starting to talk about Cloudland to Imani.”
“Okay, let’s start there,” he replied, sitting down on the porch steps.
He turned to Imani. “Imani,” he began, “I know this is going to sound crazy. But suppose I told you there’s a land up in the clouds that we mostly aren’t allowed to see. Let’s just say it’s magic. It’s where a lot of our weather comes from and there are blue-skinned people and other strange creatures that live there.”
He waved his arm at the other kids. “Each of us has been up to Cloudland,” he added, “to assist King Nature, who rules there.”
He paused and watched Imani, whose mouth and eyes were wide open. “Pretty unbelievable, right?” he asked. “Give me a sec, Imani, and we’ll talk some more about this.”
Josh turned and addressed the other kids. “The lightning storm was incredibly powerful; the experts can’t explain it. Something is out of control up there… and King Nature will be sending for our help.”
“Uh, uh,” stuttered Imani, “what in the—”
“Yeah, I know,” Neely interrupted her. “I had the same reaction myself, the first time. But at least Robbie and I were already headed up to Cloudland so I could see stuff happening. It wasn’t just someone telling me something weird.”
Robbie jumped in with a question. “Why do you think King Nature will be sending for us? And if he does, how soon do you think that will happen?”
Before Josh could answer, there came a crackling noise like static on a radio, with puffs of wind scattering petals from the flowers. Then a larger burst of wind flattened their clothes against their bodies.
Everyone turned, and up through the trees they could see a grayish, whitish cloud-like thing coming toward them. Jets of air shot here and there, shaking the tree branches and dropping a few pinecones.
Imani moved up against Neely. She shaded her eyes and squinted. “Weird. I think I see something in the middle of that cloud. A couple of things,” she observed, just above a whisper.
Book #5: Battle For Cloudland
This modern-day fairy tale follows young friends and their adventures in a fantasy land featuring endearing mythical creatures In this fifth installment, Uncle Josh is sick, and a diseased Mr. North Wind wants to shut down Cloudland. The Blueworld kids are a key part of the resistance, but they know a final battle awaits, deep inside Cold Wind Mountain. What they don’t know is a new enemy, the Wind Demon, has the ability to completely destroy Cloudland! Young readers will enjoy the Cloudland drawings, bighearted heroes and larger-than-life adventures. The series makes for a fantastic fantasy read.
Available in paperback (Amazon) and eBook at the online stores above.
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1) Surprise Attack
Kligger looked around the large cave area, what they called the tunnel node. In one direction, the bright light of the cave revealed the round opening of a tunnel maybe twice his height. A couple of Windwheels slowly rolled into it, talking to each other as they headed toward their main work area at Dr. Forsure’s wind caves. Across the cave on the other side, a similar if not identical tunnel ran in the direction of Mr. East Wind’s cave. Inside and almost filling this second tunnel rested a large clear bag, rounded on the end.
Kligger ran his fingers through his long, white hair and swung his gaze across the cave toward Rilkit, the other Windwheel working this delivery. A little bearded guy on wheels, Rilkit’s blue face sweated in the dim light. He nodded toward Kligger and pumped one of his four fists.
“It’s a go!” called Rilkit.
Kligger nodded and waved, then rolled with his leg wheels over the smooth floor. Many years of use had turned the floor from a brilliant white to a streaky gray. He stopped in front of a box-like control panel set in the wall. Sized for the Windwheels, all its switches and dials were within easy reach, none higher than four feet off the ground. As was his habit when operating the controls, Kligger pulled his blue and grey, two-peaked cap down snug on his head. He opened a safety cover and tapped a round button with his fist and a thick, circular plate lowered into position at the tunnel entrance with a slight grating sound. He heard a muffled bump as the plate sealed the tunnel behind the large bag.
Kligger checked around the cave again and got a wave from Rilkit. Satisfied, Kligger flicked his eyes left and right one more time, grabbed a T-shaped handle on the end of a switch extending from the panel and moved it up. He heard a hissing sound for several seconds as he held the switch up, then a whoosh followed by a slight rumbling sound going down the tunnel. The switch dropped back down as he released it.
“Bag of winds for ol’ Easty man!” called Kligger. “Job’s done, let’s close up and go home.” He pushed a button on the other side of the switch and the large tunnel plate began moving back up.
Just then, a muffled boom came from somewhere above them.
“What’s that?” asked Rilkit, jerking his head up to look at the ceiling.
“Dunno,” answered Kligger. “Almost sounded like it came from one of the access shafts.” He rocked back on his wheels and cocked his head to listen.
With a crash, a cover swung down from a hole in the ceiling behind Rilkit. Something dark emerged from the hole and began descending the access ladder, using its arms. Five or six feet from the ground, it dropped and bounced up on two wheels.
“What the—” Rilkit yelled. His cry was cut short as the creature charged into him, long arms reaching for his throat.
Kligger stared in horror. This new creature was definitely some kind of a Windwheel, only taller and stronger, with darker blue skin.
Fear gripped Kligger in a shudder. He should help, but he couldn’t move. He watched Rilkit struggle in the bigger Windwheel’s grasp, then slump over.
Another of the creatures dropped to the cave floor, the eyes in his repulsive face squinting, unused to the bright light.
What were they?
Then Kligger remembered. He had never seen one, but other Windwheels had. These were Windwheels from Mr. North Wind’s caves in Cold Wind Mountain!
Kligger shook himself. “Move, you silly Windy!”
As he turned, another creature crawled out of the shaft. Bigger by half than the others, it had legs, not wheels. And as its body emerged, a terrified Kligger saw some wrinkled wings unfolding from its back!
“Seize him!” the thing croaked in a loud voice.
Kligger spun around and raced to the control panel. Forgetting everything else, he yanked on the emergency lever and hit the destruct button. He heard a cranking sound and saw the blocking plug dropping into place in the tunnel to the wind caves. He saw nothing more.
2) Uncle Josh’s Sickness
“Too bad about Uncle Josh,” said Jane, glancing at her brother Robbie. The two of them relaxed on rocking chairs on the rustic front porch of their uncle’s house. The regular creaking of the rockers broke the silence of the surrounding woods.
“Yeah,” answered Robbie. “He looks really sick. He said he’d been feeling weak for some time before he went to the hospital.”
Jane squinted at the sun’s glare on a patch of snow and closed up her coat against the chill. “I guess the doctors didn’t find anything specific,” she said.
“Well, all we know is they sent him home and told him to take it easy,” said Robbie.
Jane looked back toward the front door. “Tough seeing him like this.”
They rocked without talking for a moment, listening to a sudden breeze moving through the woods.
Robbie stopped rocking. “Jane,” he said, with an intensity in his voice that caused Jane to look up. “Call me crazy, but I swear Uncle Josh’s skin has a faint bluish color. Have you noticed that?”
She paused a moment before answering. “Yeah,” I couldn’t put my finger on it but now that you mention it, yeah, there is a bluish tint. Weird.”
Her gaze swept out across the front of the house. “And speaking of weird,” she continued, “Is that Neely I see coming up the lane?”
“Ha, funnyyy,” drawled Robbie, getting up and looking in that direction. After a few seconds, he added, “Looks like Imani is with him.”
“Hello the house!” yelled a boy about Robbie’s age, waving and coming into the clearing around Josh’s house. He wore a black knit cap and coat and the sun glinted off a pair of glasses. His younger sister left his side and trotted up to the porch, pulling off the red knit cap that had been jammed down around her dark face and black braids. Jane stood up and they hugged.
“Thanks for calling,” Robbie said to Neely as they bumped their gloved fists. “We told Uncle Josh. He’ll be happy to see you.”
“Sure thing,” said Neely, his breath visible in the frosty air. “Parents were out running errands. They’re going out of town for a week. Dropped us off so we’ll just walk back.”
“That’s odd,” said Robbie. “Our parents are gone, too.” He smiled. “You don’t suppose there’s some secret parent convention going on somewhere, do you?”
“Good one,” chuckled Neely. “Say, I’ve got a joke.”
Imani turned on Neely with a frown on her face and grunted. “No Neely, not now,” she said. Then, turning to Jane, she asked, “What’s the latest?”
“Not good,” Jane responded. “Still weak, moving around but keeping to his bed a lot. We’ve set up a cot in his living room. He likes that.”
“Cool,” said Imani. Her eyes moved along the front of the house and then settled on the front door, studying it. “Uh, before we go in to see him, I wanted to bring something up.” She hesitated. “Both Neely and I have noticed that your uncle’s skin looks . . . well, kind of bluish. Have you seen that?” She looked at her brother and he nodded his head.
“Hmmm,” answered Robbie. “We were just talking about that. Seems like that would be important, but none of the hospital information mentioned it. Got any ideas?”
“Sooo . . . ” Imani began, glancing at each of them, and appearing reluctant to finish the thought.
“Sooo . . . ” she said again, “if they don’t know anything here that’s causing it, do you think it might have anything to do with Cloudland?” She looked down, a little embarrassed. “No, probably not,” she whispered, shaking her head.
Silence followed her statement, as each of the others looked at her in thought.
“You know,” said Jane, softly, “you may be onto something, girl. We’ve been there, but we know so little about Cloudland, and only what Uncle Josh has told us about his time there—”
“And his time in Darkland,” interrupted Neely. “Sorry,” he said, looking at Jane. “That may be important, too.”
“Absolutely,” answered Jane. “Not sure where we’re going with this. But Uncle Josh spent a lot of time on a totally different world. Now he’s come down sick and the medical people here can’t figure it out.”
“’Course, we’ve spent time there, too,” Robbie reminded her.
“Yeah, but only for a short time,” Jane said and paused. “We’re stuck with just guesses at this point.”
“Unless,” Imani said. “Unless, well, do you think this would be important enough to try to get ahold of Cloudland?
“Hey,” said Neely, “You may be onto something little—”
“What the—” interrupted Imani. As she said this, she pulled a large coin out of her pocket and held it up. It sparkled golden in the sunlight, a coin or medallion about three inches across with strange writing, symbols, and pictures on it.
“It’s vibrating!” said Imani, alarm in her voice. The other kids gathered around her and stared at the coin. With each vibration, the coin made a buzzing sound and gave off a pulsing blue glow.
“Whoa,” Robbie whispered.
“I carry this with me a lot,” said Imani, “Ever since King Nature gave us one when we were up on Cloudland. Never had it do this though.” She held the coin up flat so they could see it better.
Imani squinted as she studied the coin. “See this?” she asked, pointing to one side of the coin with the shape of two fists facing each other. “Remember when King Nature gave us these coins, he put two of his fists together?
“Yeah, so?” answered Neely.
“I wonder . . . ” Imani said, and she held the coin in both hands while she pushed on each of the fists with her thumbs.
The two fists smoothly slid together.
Slowly, the blue glow expanded into a round shape above the coin and an image emerged, like in a hologram.
In a moment, the image sharpened. They saw the face of Professor Because!