"And if you're not Bigfoot? who are you?" Sara asked.
"You can call me Titus, little ones."
"You have a name?" Maria asked.
"Well, sure," Titus said. His face stretched into a broad smile, and he chuckled again. "Why shouldn't I? Don't you all have names?"
"We sure do," Neil said. He introduced himself, and then did the same for his friends. "And what exactly did you mean when you said 'your purpose'?"
"An excellent question, little one. I am the protector of this land. I am most at home in the swamp, surrounded by all things marshy and boggy," Titus explained. He extended one of his massive hands, sweeping his gnarled fingers around the woods. "But my domain of responsibility extends to all these surrounding forests. Every living thing within falls under my protection, from those that would bring them harm."
"But who would harm them?" Neil asked.
"I am saddened to say that it is your kind, mostly. Humans, as you call yourselves."
From the depths of the forest, life began to stir. From between the trees, animals of every stripe came forth. Frogs and toads hopped about the huge, gnarly feet of the beast, and Nibbler greeted them with a friendly chuff.
Beavers emerged, splashing their wide, flat tails in the water. Turtles appeared in the swamp, poking their wise, wrinkled heads above the murky surface.
A tall, blue heron landed nearby, chirping inquisitively. In the trees above, there was likewise a flurry of activity, as the nesting birds awoke for this midnight rendezvous, lending their voices to the gathering.
Raccoons and possums scrambled over the tree barks, coming closer. Porcupines waddled forth, beside bounding rabbits. Nibbler wagged his tail and smiled at a pair of approaching red foxes, who regarded the Labradoodle with curious eyes.
From deeper within the forest, the Beans could see moonlight reflecting from the eyes and antlers of approaching deer. And there was even a great, lumbering bear, which yawned sleepily, rubbing at its eyes with one paw.
Every animal among them was unafraid. In fact, they seemed drawn toward Titus, this great and massive swamp beast, as if they readily recognized him as their sworn protector.
"There are those who would harm the creatures who live in the wild, and it is my kind who exist to defend them from such. We are as old as the land itself, as ancient as the earth beneath your feet. Our kind take many different forms, like my cousin, the one you call 'Bigfoot'. But we live in every nook and cranny of the earth, hidden from the eyes of humans? except for a select few, to whom we might reveal ourselves, when our options have become precious few."
"Why did you reveal yourself to us?" Neil asked.
"You, too, are friends of the forest. Are you not?"
"Well, sure. We've played in these woods our whole lives," Maria said.
"Indeed. And that is why I summoned you, little ones. I knew it was only a matter of time before your imaginations and your curiosity compelled you to venture forth, in search of the truth."
"You've been watching me," Neil said. "In the outfield, right?"
"Yes," Titus said. The botanical dreadlocks shook about as he nodded his head. "I've had my eye on you. And now? I need your help, little ones."
Chapter Thirty-One
A New Quest
"What could we possibly do, that you couldn't do?" Sara asked.
"Yeah," Maria said. "You're way bigger. Way stronger. Why would you need us?"
"You are capable of more than you give yourselves credit for, little ones. You can venture forth, where my kind cannot. For as I said, we reveal ourselves to a select few of your kind, but only when there is no alternative. And such is now the case. I am out of options, you see, and it is only you who can help me, little ones. "
"But why us?" Neil asked. "Why not somebody with real power, like some adults?"
"But it is you who has the power, little ones. For you are young, and you still believe in the wonders of this world. Grown humans can be of no help to me, for they have been stripped of their imaginations, as the years toward adulthood marched on. Even if I chose to reveal my presence to an adult human? which would be inadvisable? it would almost certainly do no good. Why, I could stand in front of an adult, and he would probably look right through me. His eyes would refuse to see, his heart would fail to believe. His mind would convince him that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred, and he would shortly forget our encounter entirely. Such is one of the strange, sad nuances of adulthood."
"I don't know?" Sara said. "Seems like you would be kind of hard to forget."
The beast chuckled. "Bwahahaha! But forget me, they would! Have you never seen the ridicule with which an adult is treated, should they report an encounter with my cousin, Bigfoot? Humans who report such things are treated as if they have lost their minds. And so, it is easier to simply forget, and to live with blinders on, trudging through the simple boredoms of adulthood."
Jack had stepped closer to Titus, and having removed the tape measure from the duffle bag, he was trying to get an accurate reading on the beast's height. Nibbler stood beside him, watching the process and wagging his tail.
"You're a nine-footer!" Jack reported with awe. "Incredible!"
Titus chuckled at his amusement, and continued. "As I said, my kind exists everywhere in this world, dispersed throughout the lands, charged with defending the creatures of the wild. But there have been times when we have failed, when we have fallen, when those we were sworn to protect were lost to the encroaching hand of humans. Such sorrowful failure has happened only rarely? but when it does happen, it is disaster for our friends in the forest. Their homes are eradicated, replaced by an urban sprawl, and by buildings so vast and tall that they scrape the very sky itself."
"But nothing like that is going to happen in our town," Neil said. "Not in Hollow Oak! There's no way this place is on the verge of becoming a city."
"Very true. Fortunately, the majority of this land remains covered by the forest, still. But yet, a great threat remains," Titus said. His green eyes reflected a terrible sorrow, and he gestured to the swampy water at his feet. "For you see, little ones, this water has been poisoned. It is tainted with a toxic sludge that permeates its substance. Even now, our friends within the forest are suffering, weakened by the poison that flows downriver, corrupting their homes."
"Poison?" Neil whispered.
The Beans looked down at the water around them. It was dimly illuminated by the moonlight, and now that the beast mentioned it, there did seem to be a strange quality to its color. It bubbled with marshy gas, and swirled about their ankles and calves, murky and muddy.
"Do not worry, little ones," Titus said. "You will not be harmed. Your brief contact with the poisoned water will not hurt you. But imagine, if you will, what ill effect it would have upon you, to drink from such poisoned water. Even if the poison was a very small part of the water as a whole? imagine what it might do to you over time, as you drank from it, day after day, month after month. It is a slow, yet certain poisoning that they suffer. And one that has been wrought by the hands of your kind? humans."
Titus pointed, with one long and gnarly finger, toward a nearby bank of the swampy channel. The Beans turned their heads and looked where he pointed. There came a faint glimmer of moonlight from something that was clearly a foreign object, but it was too dark to determine what it was. As one, the Beans turned their flashlights upon the item, bathing it in the wobbly glow.
What was illuminated was a rusty, fifty-five gallon drum. The lid had been partially popped off, and even now, there seeped from within a nasty sludge.
"They've been appearing for some time, now," Titus said. "Traveling from upriver, floating into our swamps, and streams, and water supplies. Some of these barrels remain intact, their integrity sound. But some, I am sad to say, do not. They rupture, and their poison flows into our water. The source of these barrels is human in origin. This is the new quest that I charge you with, little ones. If you are truly friends of the forest, then yo
u must uncover the source of this poisonous substance... and put a stop to it. "
Amid a flutter of wings, a beautiful bird descended from above, landing on the shoulder of the swamp beast. It was large, perhaps the size of a crow. Blue-gray feathers covered its back, and its underside was black and white, with accents of red. From its perch atop the creature's shoulder, it stared down at the Beans with its piercing eyes.
Titus turned his head toward the bird, and smiled. "Ah. This is Arturo, little ones. He is a peregrine falcon, gifted with extraordinary vision and speed. He is my most trusted messenger, and a gifted agent of reconnaissance. He will assist you, if you choose to accept my request for help."
Arturo made a quick, shuddering motion, ruffling his plumage. A handful of feathers drifted down, landing inside of the waiting palm of Titus. Handling them gently, the swamp beast leaned forward, crouching in the shallow water. He extended his fingers and offered the feathers to the Beans, one for each of them. Neil, Jack, Sara, and Maria took the feathers, admiring the colors as they examined them.
"This is but a small token of appreciation, for whatever help you might lend us. From myself, and Arturo, and the creatures of the wild. For you, our friends of the forest."
"Thanks," Neil said, as he turned the feather in his hands. "Um? do we have anything we can give to Titus in return?"
Jack rummaged about inside of the duffle bag. "Ooh! Look here."
He stepped forward, with a granola bar clutched in one hand. Quickly peeling off the wrapper, he extended his arm and offered it to Titus.
"Hmmm? what is this?" the swamp beast asked.
He reached his own hand forward, and gently took the granola bar from Jack. He sniffed at it, his nostrils flaring with breath, his eyes glowing with interest. It looked absurdly small in his hand, more like a stick of gum than a granola bar.
"It's a delicious treat!" Sara said.
"Just go ahead and eat it. You'll like it," Maria assured him.
Titus was agreeable enough, and he popped the granola bar into his mouth. It was gone almost instantly, after a couple of brief chomps. "Mmmm. You're right. This is really quite tasty."
"If you think that's good, we should bring you pizza sometime. That'll really blow your mind," Jack said.
"Pizza, eh?" Titus asked, as he rubbed at his chin in thought. "I think I would rather enjoy that. It has a nice ring to it. And I thank you for your gift. I believe we have now secured the first bonds of trust between us, having exchanged tokens of friendship. All that remains is for you to decide if you will help the forest, or if you will not.
"Ultimately, the decision lies with you. I will not? and cannot? directly interfere in the world of humans. The one exception to this is you - the children of this curious species that believes it rules the planet. You are the only ones who can believe in me. You are the only ones that I can reveal myself to? and only to a select few of you, at that. I ask only that you do what you feel in your hearts to be right."
Neil stepped closer to the swamp beast, and his friends stood beside him. "You can count on us, Titus," he promised. "We'll do our best."
Titus smiled in return, revealing his craggy teeth. His bright, green eyes were filled with happiness. "I knew that I had chosen you wisely. Thank you, little ones. That is all I can ask of you."
Chapter Thirty-Two
Heading Upriver
The Beans began their journey upriver, trekking through the wild. Their soaked sneakers marched through wetlands, plopping through swamp water, and muddy riverbanks, and high weeds. Nibbler led the way, bravely pushing forth into this unknown terrain, undaunted by the task at hand.
Much of the sky overhead was blocked by the canopy of trees, but they still saw Arturo from time to time. They would see a black silhouette dart across the bright circle of the moon, and hear him uttering a low call, as he soared upon the currents of air above.
As they traveled through the forest and the swamp, into these areas that were far beyond their experiences, and equally far beyond the previously known limits of their bedtimes, they felt electric with energy. They were not tired in the slightest, although they were usually sound asleep at this hour.
They were thrilled with their adventure? it seemed like something of a dream to have encountered a creature that no one in the entire world had ever before seen. And to have been recruited by that mysterious monster! There was something very much magical about the entire episode.
But even more magical than their meeting with the swamp beast was the intangible feeling of camaraderie that existed among the four friends. They had been close for a long time, but this adventure was bonding them like never before. Their friendship, they knew, would forever be stronger after tonight.
As they journeyed upriver, through the darkened forest, the Beans occasionally saw more of the huge barrels. Those that they saw had washed ashore the riverbanks, and they were in poor shape, oozing sludge from within their rusty confines. Of course, these were only the barrels that they could see, and they wondered how many had sunk into the deeper portions of the river and the swamp, now hidden beyond view.
They lost track of time, but after perhaps a half an hour, they began to see some illumination coming through the forest ahead of them. The lighting was dim at first, but as they drew closer, it seemed to grow brighter, reflecting from the treetops and shimmering on the surface of the water.
Shortly after, a building came into view. It was a rather nondescript structure, built from brick, and utilitarian in nature. It was clear, however that it was the source of the light they had seen from afar, for there were several halogen lamps affixed to the outside of the building.
The Beans crouched behind a large group of shrubberies at the edge of the river, studying the structure from afar. Nibbler stealthily hunkered down beside them. They saw Arturo circle above the building, and then land on the edge of the roof. From his perch, the bird seemed to stare at the Beans, waiting patiently.
"What is it?" Sara asked.
"I think?" Neil paused. They were speaking in hushed whispers, as if in fear of discovery. "I think it's the sneaker factory!"
Though he had never seen it from this particular angle, and was therefore unfamiliar with this view of the building, Neil pieced together that what he was looking at was the backside of his father's sneaker factory.
They must have traveled a great distance through the forest, indeed. For although the Hollow Oak Sneaker Factory was a short drive from the neighborhood of the Beans, it would be a rather long walk. The only way they had been able to reach it at all was because they had unknowingly made a shortcut through the forest, exploring new areas of the woods they had never before set foot within.
There was a parking lot at the rear of the sneaker factory, where several cars currently sat in silence. They surely belonged to the nightshift workers. Next to this small parking lot, there was a loading dock, which was a place where the factory received and sent out shipments. A portion of the loading dock area met the riverbank.
As they crouched down, spying on the factory, Jack whispered, "What does it mean?"
Momentarily, there was a low, groaning noise, and the Beans saw a garage door rolling up at the rear of the building. Beyond the large doorway, there was the interior of the factory, which was well lit for the nightshift workers. Even from this distance, they could hear noise from within, as the laborers went about their chores, working the machinery.
Although the inside of the factory was well lit for the nightshift workers, the Beans' view of the operations within was somewhat blocked. In the garage doorway, there was a large silhouette of something that they could not make out. It looked somewhat like a huge, crouching beast. Furthermore, there seemed to be a low, constant growl that was generated by the darkened thing.
"What is that?" Maria asked, squinting through the cattails and skunk cabbage.
As if it had heard her, the thing opened its eyes. They were huge, blazing orbs of bright yellow. Shaped like perfec
t circles, they seemed to burn through the blackness of the night itself. They cut beams of bright light into the air, and the Beans instinctively dove for cover, seeking to avoid the gaze of those horrible eyes. Nibbler joined them, his ears pressed flat against his head.
They tumbled into a pile, clutching at each other in fear. And who could blame them? It had been a most stressful and unusual night. Was it possible, that on this, the strangest of adventures, they could encounter not one, but two monsters?
Chapter Thirty-Three
Dastardly Deeds
"Gears and sprockets!" Sara hissed. "What is that thing?"
"I don't know," Neil gasped, hugging Nibbler close to his body, to keep him out of sight.
They were getting soaked in the chilly water, and covered in mud, but they barely noticed. After a few short seconds, they heard the low growling intensify, and Neil dared to peek above the cover that they all lay behind. From his heightened position of observation, he reported to the others.
"Hey," he whispered. "It's not a monster? it's just a machine. It's a little bulldozer."
The others joined Neil, peeking over their cover. Now, they could see that what their rattled nerves had perceived to be blazing eyeballs were simply headlights, mounted to the front of the machine.
They realized that the growling that they heard was the machine's motor. As it grew in tone, the little bulldozer lurched forward, wheeling out of the factory. Although partially blinded by the headlights, the Beans could see that the big bucket on the front of the bulldozer held a pair of barrels? the same type of fifty-five gallon drums that they had seen throughout the swamp and the river.
With a subdued horror, they watched as the bulldozer crawled to the edge of the loading dock area, and dumped its cargo into the river. The huge barrels landed with a tremendous splash of water. They dipped and bobbed for a moment, before proceeding to float downriver.
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