The Fossegrimen Folly

by Michael Almich

  "Wow." He paused considering how to change the subject. "Hey, we never really got to talk after the other night. What's the real story? What really happened to you?" Daniel asked.

  "Well, it is pretty much exactly what I told you guys. After you yelled for me to run, I just ran. I ran up the path that runs along the river gorge. I almost couldn't keep going…. Then, I saw a light. I ran toward it. I could hear them breathing as they chased me, and felt them grabbing at the back of my shirt. I was almost to the light. Then, there was a flash of light behind me and I heard a yell, and what sounded like someone fall to the ground. I didn't look back. I just kept running."

  "So, you really slept by the waterfall all night?" Daniel prodded as they walked on a ledge overlooking the stream that bordered that side of the island.

  Shy paused. He worried that Daniel would think he was crazy, or just making up stories. Finally, Shy decided that if he couldn't trust Daniel, who had acted like nothing other than a good friend, then who could he trust? So, he told him in depth about the fossegrimen, and before he knew it, he was telling him about the spiral staircase and the other secret entrances that he had found. Daniel, for his part listened with amazement, but Shy did not detect any disbelief. In fact, Daniel was excited. He was extremely interested in Shy's ability to see through the fairy magic.

  "We gotta tell the guys," He immediately said. "Maybe some of us can see the stuff you can. Hey, maybe" Daniel stopped suddenly. "Didn't Tad tell us something about treasure when he was telling us about the fossegrimen?"

  Shy saw the excitement blossoming in Daniel's eyes.

  "We just gotta tell the others. Maybe we can find the treasure. Shy? Shy, what's wrong?"

  Shy was staring at nothing, but he couldn't move, he was lost in thought. What if there really was treasure? The question lingered in his brain. If they found the treasure, he could help his mom to fix up the old farmhouse. Since his parents often argued about money, maybe his dad would even move back with them! The idea of the treasure had grabbed hold of Shy, and now wrapped its cold hands around his brain and squeezed.

  "Helloooo!" Daniel waved his hand up and down in front of Shy's eyes.

  "Sorry, "Shy smiled. "I think we could tell the guys, but they all have to promise not to tell anyone else."

  "Agreed." Daniel said. "It's gotta be almost time to head back. C'mon…Let's go find everyone."

  Chapter Nine:

  "Well, I did hear a story once about that."

  The 4th of July came and went rather quickly for the boys. It was a day of games, eating and fun. The boys spent a lot of time with their new friends from the Lake Cabins. They played pool and ping pong in the Lodge, and Tag in the courtyard. In the evening, Clancy and Gust moved them all down to the shoreline, where Gust was preparing fresh trout that he caught earlier in the day. He had wrapped the fillets in foil and after adding his secret ingredients, he placed them on a grate over the coals of the fire. Shy loved fish, and even after hearing Claire's claims that he was going to get mercury poisoning if he ate too much fish, his mouth still watered.

  After dinner they enjoyed what Shy thought was probably the best fireworks he had ever seen. They began exploding over the water of Lake Superior unexpectedly and finally ended with enough of a rush of light and sound that the boys were adequately impressed. Even with all the day's activities, though, Shy's brain continually returned to thoughts of treasure.

  After the show was done, as they tromped back up past the Lodge, Shy checked the time on Gust's watch that was still on his wrist. Gust had given it to him the night of their last geo-caching practice, and he kept forgetting to give it back. It was eleven forty-five. No wonder he was tired, he thought.

  Daniel, Henry, and Ralph caught up to Shy.

  "We've got a plan, Shy," Daniel began conspiratorially.

  Henry jumped into the conversation, "Tomorrow, you and Danny boy have your next night geo caching practice. We are going to help you find the cache quickly. Then, we can make the trip to see the fossegrimen and ask it about the treasure!" With that he jumped back out of the conversation and pushed his way up the trail to Sawyer and Finn.

  Daniel tried to grab Henry as he went by, but failed. He began to chase after the smaller boy, and with a moonlit wave to Shy he shouted, "Tomorrow Shy… See ya tomorrow!"

  With all the activities over the Fourth, Shy had forgotten about the upcoming night geo-caching practice. He felt the nervousness move throughout his stomach as he considered how he barely escaped the chase that erupted at the prior practice.

  "Shy," Ralph said quietly.

  Shy had forgotten the quiet boy was still walking next to him.

  "Hey Ralph. What's up?"

  "Is it true, you really can see these creatures?"

  Shy shrugged, "Sometimes."

  Ralph seemed to consider this answer for a minute, and then said, "This all scares me."

  "Yeah, me too."

  "But you're so brave. You faced Crutch, and now the fossegrimen. I don't think I can do that."

  "You jumped in a lake with a monster in it, to save a girl… That's brave. Yuck, it freaks me out just to think about that thing in the lake." Shy attempted to console his friend.

  "Yeah, but I didn't know there was a monster, and Tad was already in the water. I just thought since my event in the competition is swimming, that I should be in there."

  "It was still brave. Like Tad keeps telling us, we gotta believe in ourselves."

  "I guess." He didn't sound like he believed it. Then he asked, "So, did you really see the fossegrimen? What was it like? Were you scared? Is there really a treasure?"

  Shy smiled in the dark at Ralph's rapid questions, as he looked ahead for the flashlight Tad was using to guide them.

  Up ahead, he could hear Henry yelling for Sam, probably to tell him the plan to find the treasure. Then he heard Daniel yelling for Henry. Evidently he had not yet caught the quick, shifty boy. Shy smiled and considered how to answer Ralph's questions.

  "I get kinda scared when I think about it now, but when I was there, and he was in front of me, playing his violin, it just seemed like a dream. The music made me relaxed and tired," Shy said, thinking back.

  "What did it look like?"

  "I dunno. It was big, and it was dressed kinda like a leprechaun. He had a tight little green jacket on, but he was so hugely fat that the jacket hung open over rolls of belly. He had black skin and bright orange hair. He had the lowest voice I have ever heard. It almost sounded like a rumble. At first it was hard to tell the difference between his voice and the noise from the waterfall. I talked to him for a minute, after I gave him my energy bar, and then he played music for me and I just fell asleep. Then Gust found me, and the fossegrimen was gone."

  "Did he say anything about the treasure?"

  "Nope. He did ask me what I wanted as a favor… after I gave him the snack bar."

  "I really would like to find that treasure because…." Ralph didn't finish, he just trailed off as they reached the Elevator.

  "Hurry up! If you want time for me to tell you a story, we need to get started," Tad scolded. "I am tired." Contrary to what he said, Tad sounded rather energized.

  They took the Elevator up, and made their way to the Hive, where they found ice cream sundaes waiting for them. Shy was amazed that Tom T was able to arrange for ice cream way up here at the cabins, and get it ready at just the right time. It had barely started to melt. Shy scooped up a sundae, but before he took a bite, he slid over to the side table and put down one of the two molasses cookies he had taken away from the evening's events. As he walked to get his sundae and sit down on his favorite beanbag, next to Daniel, he watched the cookie out of the corner of his eye. It wasn't long before an arm appeared to grab the cookie. Shy stared hard at the arm, his vision blurred and then came the snapping feeling. Tom T appeared to his sight. It almost felt, to Shy, like he was swimming through thick gel. He could do it, but it took focus and effort. Tom T shoved the remainder of the cook
ie in his hairy face, turned and winked at Shy, and ran off out of the Hive. Shy looked around, but it didn't appear any of the others had seen the exchange. As he tucked into his hot fudge and vanilla ice cream, Tad stuffed his last bite into his mouth, put the sundae bowl and spoon onto a side table and stood up in front of them.

  "Well, here we are at the official halfway point of your summer at Camp Lac Igam."

  Groans arose from all the boys, to which he chuckled.

  "Does that mean that you guys are having fun? I hope so. I hope you are learning some things too. Like how to be a good friend, how to stick up for your friends, how to be confident in yourself and believe that you can accomplish great things." He paused and looked at them. "How is the practicing going for your events? Is there anyone who is worried about their event?"

  At this Shy saw Ralph raise his hand. Instantly, Henry spoke up.

  "Ralphie, you gotta be kidding me! You just rescued a damsel in distress yesterday! I think she likes you!"

  "Yeah, man, you swam like a pro," Finn added. "I couldn't have done that. I didn't even know what was going on."

  Many of the other boys mumbled their assent. Tad beamed from the front of the group.

  "See this is what I am talking about. You guys have bonded. You have become like a team. Ralph, that really was brave. Now, you just need to not sell yourself short. Believe in yourself…. These guys do."

  Ralph tried to contain a smile, as he looked around the room. When he made eye contact with Shy, Shy gave him a smile back.

  "Now, what do you want a story about?" Tad asked.

  "A huldra-thingy!"

  "A will-o-wisp!"

  "Gust!"

  "The fossegrimen's treasure!"

  All the boys became silent at this last suggestion that Daniel yelled out. Tad must have thought that it was an unusual choice, because he looked strangely at them all, ending his look on Shy. He grabbed a chair, though, turned it around, and sat down facing them all.

  "Well, I did hear a story once about that. I was at the Paul Bunyan General Store a year or so ago, and there was this one old man telling a story. Seems like he is always sitting in there, next to the counter. He visits with everyone that comes in. Sometimes he helps bag up purchases.

  "A little over a year ago, just before summer camp started, the other counselors and I were in there buying some last minute supplies because a bad storm had ripped through the forest. We had some repairs to make. As we were shopping, I heard him telling a story from when he was a boy. Now, this guy must be at least eighty years old or so, and he often tells about working in the store as a boy, and hearing the logger's gossip when they would come in. The story he was telling was about two loggers, Fredrick and George, who had seen some strange things by the falls. I figured he had to have been referring to our falls, so I listened in.

  "He said that the story was related to him by George because the other logger, Fredrick, had disappeared. It happened that the two loggers went to the river one morning, at the base of the waterfall, to wash up. There, they met a strange character. He swore this creature they saw was over eight feet tall. The other loggers claimed the two must've run into a bear after a night of too much whiskey. Although they could not definitively explain the disappearance of old Fredrick, some whispered that George had killed him in a drunken rage, and come up with this fantastical story to cover up the murder. Others claimed the bear must have dragged him off.

  "While he admitted to the whiskey, George swore that what they saw that morning in the mist of the falls was no bear. He claimed they had talked to the creature, and that it was playing beautiful music on a fiddle. The creature asked them if they had anything to eat, and Fredrick grabbed the only thing they had on them, venison jerky."

  "What's venison?" Finn interrupted.

  He was quickly elbowed by Sawyer, who whispered that it was meat from deer. Sawyer then shook his head and mumbled, "City boy…"

  Tad smiled and continued, "So, the logger gave the venison jerky to the behemoth, which quickly gobbled it up. As the creature returned to the small stringed instrument, it nonchalantly asked Fred if he was interested in treasure. Of course he was, he had answered. So the creature told him that he would give him directions to a valuable treasure if Fred could answer a riddle.

  "Being a touch reckless, Fred quickly jumped at the offer. When the creature asked if they were both playing, Fred quickly said it was just him. He hustled George back up the path, away from the waterfall, before he could argue. Fred claimed he would share the treasure with George when he found it, but George was skeptical. So, after Fred left him, he snuck back to the waterfall and hid within listening distance. The creature then told Fred to come in close.

  "He warned him that once the riddle was asked, he could not back out. The price for incorrectly answering the riddle was to pass through the waterfall, never to return.

  "Now old Fred must have thought this was a ridiculous threat. After all, he knew the forest as well as anyone. If he went beyond the waterfall, he could always find his way back. So, after a quick pause, Fredrick agreed to the terms.

  "Then, George claimed, the creature asked Fredrick the riddle: what is yours but those around you use it more than you do? Well, Fredrick was a practical, if not a nice man, and he furrowed his brows and thought hard. Finally, thinking in terms of his daily life, he confidently looked up and answered. His axe, he said. Those around him used his axe more than he did. His face was lit up with confidence.

  "For a moment, George said, nothing happened. Then the creature began to laugh, loud, low rumbling laughter blended into the roar of the waterfall. The creature pointed its wobbly, fat arm to the waterfall. George saw Fred step back in horror, and then look around wildly. His legs began to jerk into motion. He yelled and screamed, but his legs carried him toward, and then directly into, the waterfall. The water poured over Fred as he fought to remain, but was pulled into the falls completely.

  "The creature faded from sight, George said, but as he ran from the place, he could hear its laughter echo up the river gorge."

  At first, the boys were silent. Tad's story had again mesmerized them. Quickly, though, Henry snapped them from their trance.

  "What was the answer… to the riddle?"

  "Well, the old guy never said. I think I know, though," Tad teased. "Anyone want to take a guess?"

  The boys all looked at each other. Shy could tell that none of them knew it. Then, he heard a whisper in his ear. It was Tom T!

  "Your name," whispered the nisse.

  Shy thought about it as Tad began to stand up. It made sense. It was yours, but others used it more than you!

  "You all need to get to bed," Tad began. "Remember, tomorrow, after breakfast you will all be…"

  "Your name!" Shy yelled out excitedly, interrupting Tad.

  "What?" He stared at Shy, and the other boys turned too.

  "Your name. Your name is yours, but other people use it way more than you do!"

  Tad smiled.

  "Like I was saying," he resumed, "you all will be practicing your events tomorrow after breakfast, except you Shy. Go with Daniel and run. You two will be practicing geo- caching tomorrow night. Practice number two. After that, there will only be one more practice session before the competition. OK, let's go, get up!" He picked up a beanbag and began swinging it at the boys. They dodged and ran out the north wall exit from the Hive to their separate cabins.

  "Tad, can we walk with Shy to the Raven, then head back to the Eagle?" Daniel asked, as Sam walked over.

  "I suppose. I have to go meet with the other counselors for a bit. Shy, I will be up to the Raven in about forty-five minutes. Daniel, you and Sam stay with him until then, OK?"

  The two bigger boys both put their arms around him and pushed him through the forest canopy, over the ropes, catwalks, and bridges. As they distanced themselves from the Hive, they heard the other boys attempting the calls of their respective cabins. Ralph and Henry in the distance with their
Jay scream, the purdy, purdy, purdy that Sawyer and Finn used as a cardinal call. Sampson and Daniel responded with their version of the screeching cry of an eagle. Then, they turned to Shy. Though embarrassed, he gave a very respectable low, croaking caw, caw, of a raven.

  As they walked, Daniel talked about the treasure. It seemed at first to Shy that Daniel was only interested in the adventure of the whole thing. Now, he was so focused on it that Shy began to feel a little jealous. Shy needed the treasure for his family. He could do so much with it. Would they be like Fred and George in the story Tad had shared? No, how could it possibly turn out that way when they had the answer!

  "So, since we know the riddle, and now we know the answer, we CAN do this," Daniel was elaborating on his plan. "We just need you to find the fossegrimen again, Shy."

  "Do you think everyone will be able to see it? Will it even offer to tell us where the treasure is?" Shy asked.

  "Maybe. Maybe if we all bring food, it will show itself… like Tom T does. Do you think?"

  Shy shrugged. Daniel's questions had formed a new worry. What if he couldn't find the fossegrimen? What if it refused to show itself to the other boys? They would then think he made the whole thing up for sure. Shy's stomach slowly began to tie itself up in knots.

  ***

  After breakfast, they ran. It went better than it had earlier in the summer. Especially since Daniel talked the whole run. That slowed him a little and allowed Shy to keep up. Daniel told Shy that instead of practicing today, Finn and Sawyer were spying on Gust and Clancy. They would make sure to see where the geo-cache was hidden. That night, then, they would begin searching for the geo-cache as normal. The other boys would be waiting near the hiding spot, so once Daniel and Shy found it, the whole group would head down to the waterfall. The other boys would bring some food that they sneaked away from the evening meal. So, if Shy was able to find the fossegrimen, they would simply give it some treats, ask for the location of the treasure, answer the riddle, and collect the goods. Daniel said they had all agreed to split the treasure equally.