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    A Christmas Quest: A Young Boy's Unexpected Christmas Vacation
    A Christmas Quest: A Young Boy's Unexpected Christmas Vacation
    A Christmas Quest: A Young Boy's Unexpected Christmas Vacation
    Ebook156 pages2 hours

    A Christmas Quest: A Young Boy's Unexpected Christmas Vacation

    By C. H. Crane

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    About this ebook

    Tim is an ordinary boy in an ordinary small town. He's going through the motions of preparing for Christmas along with his know-it-all cousin Natalie and clumsy best friend Stretch.

    It is finally Christmas vacation!

    Tim is looking forward to doing all the fun things he enjoys, like tobogganing and having snowball fights. He doesn't want to be bothered decorating the Christmas tree or shoveling snow. He especially thinks hes too old to write a letter to Santa Claus, even though his parents strongly suggest he should, Just in case.

    Every year Stretch and Tim build a special contraption intended to capture Santa Claus. But Tim doesn't even want to help Stretch build this traditional Santa Trap they design every year! Tim believes that if Santa really existed, they would have surely caught him by now.

    That is until Alexander, a member of the "Secret Society of Santa's Snowmen," explains that an evil entity, known as the Jester, from historys past has returned to challenge Santa for control of the Christmas Holiday. Alexander convinces Tim and Stretch that the chairman of this society, Excelsior, needs their help in saving Christmas or else Christmas as they know it would be gone forever!

    How can Tim and Stretch, two ordinary boys, possibly help in such an important task? Thats when they turn to Tims cousin, Know-it-all Natalie, for help.

    Join Tim, Stretch and Natalie, the Jr. Detective, in their Quest to save Christmas from the evil Jester. Will the group successfully fight off the immense powers of the Jester? Will Christmas ever be the same again?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTrafford Publishing
    Release dateSep 25, 2013
    ISBN9781490708065
    A Christmas Quest: A Young Boy's Unexpected Christmas Vacation
    Author

    C. H. Crane

    C. H. Crane grew up and still resides in a small town in the Back Mountain of Northeast Pennsylvania. He was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1962 and graduated from Pennsylvania State University and College Misericordia. In 1984, he married Barbara J Perrego and together they raised five children. They are currently proud grandparents of their first grandchild. C. H. Crane is the author of “A Christmas Quest, A Young Boy’s Unexpected Christmas Vacation” which earned Trafford’s Gold Seal of Literary Excellence.

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      Book preview

      A Christmas Quest - C. H. Crane

      © Copyright 2013 C. H. Crane.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

      Printed in the United States of America.

      isbn: 978-1-4907-0808-9 (sc)

      isbn: 978-1-4907-0807-2 (hc)

      isbn: 978-1-4907-0806-5 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2013915775

      Trafford rev. 09/09/2013

      21097.png www.trafford.com

      North America & international

      toll-free: 1 888 232 4444 (USA & Canada)

      fax: 812 355 4082

      Contents

      Chapter 1 Christmas Vacation

      Chapter 2 The Snowmen

      Chapter 3 Natalie

      Chapter 4 The Investigation

      Chapter 5 The Contest

      Chapter 6 Getting Ready

      Chapter 7 The Jester

      Chapter 8 Christmas Day

      For my grandchildren

      1.jpg

      Friday, December 21, 1984

      Christmas Vacation

      I t was a cold and blustery December morning. Tim lay in his bed, ever so gradually awakening from his dream-filled slumber. No need to rush, he thought. Just another school day.

      From the kitchen down below, the faint aroma of pancakes gently wafted up the stairs, once again destined for Tim’s room. Sleepy and reluctant to greet the morning, he reached down and pulled the blankets back over his head, not even tempted this time by the sweet smell radiating from the kitchen.

      Lying there in the faint light of the new day, yawning and rubbing his eyes, Tim heard the wind outside as it howled through the bare treetops. The oak branches rapping out some form of a mystery Morse code of bumps and taps up against the siding only advised him he should stay in bed.

      Not only just another school day but a cold one at that, he reckoned. Mulling over his options of whether to stay in his warm and comfortable cocoon or get up and get ready for the school day was an easy decision; another five minutes wouldn’t hurt anything.

      While he was dozing in and out of consciousness, his serenity was then suddenly shattered by a revelation, an exciting and joyous revelation. His eyes flew open. Throwing off the blankets and springing up in bed like a jack-in-the-box, he finally realized what day it was.

      His excitement began to grow and then swelled almost out of control, understanding that this was not just any morning. It was a very special morning. It was the last day of school before Christmas vacation!

      With the thoughts of the upcoming Christmas vacation whirring about in his head, Tim, suddenly hungry for pancakes, reached over and clicked on the side lamp, leaped out of bed, and sped to the dresser. Not necessarily concerned for the fashion of the day, he pulled out the dresser drawers, grabbed whatever clothing was on the top of the stack, and hurriedly dressed for the day.

      Pajamas thrown on the floor, he then darted for the door. Racing down the stairs, skipping every other step along the way, he was led by his nose toward that ever-so-sweet smell floating up from the kitchen below.

      The rooster tail springing up from his uncombed hair flapped with every bounce along the way, but why should he care? His hat would soon cover it all up anyway. No need to worry about anything, for it was indeed the last day of school before Christmas vacation.

      At the bottom of the steps, he cut a sharp right-hand turn, rounded the corner, and almost collided head-on with his mother.

      Timmy! Slow down! she scolded as she desperately tried to maintain possession of a serving plate heaped with pancakes.

      With a quick zigzag and a little side step, Tim circled the kitchen table, flopped in his chair next to his father, and said, All right! Pancakes!

      Timmy! exclaimed his mother.

      Somewhat baffled by this unprecedented and thoroughly unexpected rush to greet a school day, Tim’s mom inquired, Timmy, you do know that today is a school day, don’t you?

      Sure do, Mom, replied Tim.

      Curious, knowing that there just had to be something driving all this excitement, she questioned, Then tell me, what’s the big rush for school today?

      Tim’s father folded down a corner of the morning paper, peeked over in anticipation of the reply, and cautioned, Yeah, Tim, you might want to think about that answer. It’s a little too close to Christmas for any shenanigans.

      Placing the plentiful pile of pancakes down on the kitchen table, Tim’s mother then placed her hands on her hips, looked down, and said, Then just what are you up to? Normally, I can’t pry you out of bed on a school day.

      It’s the last day of school before Christmas! announced Tim.

      Well, last day or not, you need to settle down and eat before the bus gets here, replied his mother.

      Grabbing the maple syrup and drowning his breakfast, Tim proceeded to make short work of the pile of pancakes.

      Tim’s father, with eyes glancing up from the morning paper, said, Tim, speaking of Christmas, I didn’t see your list to Santa this year.

      Aw, Dad, letters to Santa… that’s kids’ stuff, but—I sure would like some freight cars for my train set!

      Kids’ stuff, is it? We’ll just have to see about that, said Tim’s father just before he lowered his head back down, continuing to study every line of the morning paper.

      In the background, Christmas music filled the room, emanating from the kitchen radio that was strategically placed high on top of the refrigerator, far away from curious fingers. As the latest holiday classic drew to an end, the DJ, in a somewhat-overenthusiastic voice, announced, All right, everyone. We all know Christmas is fast approaching and the New Year is only just ten days away. Make your reservations now at Buddy Emm’s Inn and Resort to ring in 1985!

      Nineteen eighty-five, lamented Tim’s mother as she refilled his always-empty milk glass. Where did 1984 go? It seems like the years are just flying by anymore.

      Then, from the living room, the mantel clock chimed for seven o’clock. Tim’s dad, hearing the tone, instinctively put the paper down and readied for work. Saying his good-byes and walking to the foyer, putting on his overcoat and brand-new hat, he prepared for the cold walk to the car. Opening the front door, he turned back around to the kitchen and shouted to Tim, You might want to think twice about that list! Closing the door behind him, he was off to work.

      Tim’s mother, in the process of clearing the morning table, looked over to Tim and urged, Come on, Timmy, it’s getting late. The bus is going to be here any minute, and you still need to comb that hair and get bundled up for the cold. Oh, and by the way, make sure to wear your boots to school. The weatherman on the radio this morning said it was going to snow later today.

      Tim smiled and thought to himself, Can this day get any better? Last day of school before Christmas vacation and now snow too!

      Finished with breakfast, Tim quickly forgot all about the need to flatten out the rooster tail and scampered to the foyer to dress for the cold day ahead. Throwing on his heavy coat and rooster-tail-flattening hat, he looked around quickly and yelled back to his mother, Hey, Mom, did you see my schoolbooks?

      Walking in from the kitchen-cleanup detail, she pointed back to the living room and said, There. Right there on top of the television where you left them last night. And speaking of schoolbooks, did you ever finish your homework last night?

      Can’t talk now, Mom. The bus is going to be here any minute was his quick reply—of course, all in an effort to divert the attention away from the real answer.

      First making a quick run to grab the books from the top of the television, Tim then rushed to the front door and readied to make his escape to the bus stop. Hand on the doorknob and about to run out the door, he heard, Boots, Timmy!

      Oh yeah, Mom. Almost forgot. Snow today too!

      Grabbing his heavy snow boots from out of the closet, he quickly pulled them over his shoes. Then, as if in a race, he fastened up the metal clasps, grabbed his books from the floor, and stomped out the door. He went off the porch and down the front walk. The homework question was successfully avoided.

      Out by the front gate, Tim was soon joined by his best friend, Stretch, who lived right across the street with his mother.

      Stretch, as he was known, was a tall, skinny boy, a little clumsy but a very creative young lad with an eye for adventure.

      Last day of school, Stretch, before Christmas vacation! What do you want to do after school? inquired Tim.

      Already have it all planned out—well, at least as far as tonight goes anyway, replied Stretch.

      Holding up a pile of paper-clipped papers in his hand, Stretch said, Check this out! Right here it is, Tim. You’re looking at this year’s plan for our Santa trap!

      Being a boy of eleven, Stretch was beginning to have his questions about Santa, but if he could catch the jolly old man delivering the goods, there would be no more doubt.

      Tim, only a year older, replied, Stretch, forget the trap. Remember our trap last year? We worked on it for a week. It was sureproof not to fail! If there was a Santa Claus, surely that trap would have caught him. Remember, Stretch, no Santa Claus, no elf—not even a reindeer print in the snow.

      This was the year that Tim became a nonbeliever. But being a true friend, he agreed to help Stretch build the new and improved Santa trap.

      Walking to the corner bus stop, Tim and Stretch continued to discuss their Christmas-vacation plans and the news of the first big snowstorm of the season.

      Hey, Stretch, Mom said it is going to snow today. Wouldn’t it be great if we got out early?

      Sure would! Well, as long as it’s after the Christmas assembly anyway. I don’t want to miss out on that free box of candy at the end of the play.

      How much snow are we supposed to get anyway? asked Stretch.

      Not sure, but I hope it’s two feet! said an excited Tim.

      Well, if we do get out early, that would give us even more time to work on this, said Stretch as he again held up his paper-clipped plans to Tim.

      Not necessarily interested with the trap plans again this year, Tim’s focus was clearly on the approaching storm and the possibility of getting out of school early.

      Although looking forward to the snowstorm, Tim’s interest right then was not about the flapping papers but instead about staying warm. The wait at the corner bus stop was uncomfortable and lengthy. The cold and biting wind stung his exposed face. Shielding himself from the frigid wind, Tim could only partly watch and pretended to listen as Stretch continued to wave that year’s plans into the wind.

      The longer Stretch talked, the worse the sketches were buffeted about by the winds of the approaching nor’easter.

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