The Cave Escape

Adventures of

Brawny and Keen

by Spencer Hanson

A

Brothers Whim

Storybook Workshop Production

First Edition

Creative Commons

March 2015

This book is licensed under a

Creative Commons Attribuition-ShareAlike license.

In other words, you are free to reuse, revise, remix,

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Just mention our name,

and make your derivative works similarly available.

Life is better when ideas are shared!

To all of us who might forget

that fantastic adventures await.

Chapter 1

Peter scraped the thick layer of dust from the large wooden chest with his fingers, and lifted the rusty clasp. Inside was a stack of old papers, browned and curled at the edges.

“Noah, come here! Look what I found.”

Peter read from the old page on the top of the stack.

The Adventures of Brawny and Keen

Some stories must be told, even if you are afraid to tell them. I suppose few people will ever read these words, and fewer still may believe. Whether they believe or not, I know what I write is true, and that is what matters.

It seems so very long ago. Time has faded my memory into what now feels like a dream. A dream from another life, perhaps. Well, now I must write what I should have written many years before.

You see, I believe in magic. I’ve seen it. Things that I can’t explain, yet they are as real as you and me.

Have you ever not been able to explain something? Think of something you think you know. Now keep asking ‘why?’ and you will see what I mean. We don’t actually know most of the things that we think we do.

Once you’ve seen magic for yourself, you’ll know what I know; that life without magic is empty.

“Peter...Hello, earth to Peter. Why did you stop? Come on. Go to the next page already.”

Peter’s gaze was fixed on a distant thought. “What do you think it is?”

Noah huffed. “Not sure. But I know how we can find out. Read!”

Peter pushed the lid shut. “Grab that other handle and help me carry this down.”

“Why?”

“We’ll ask grandpa. He’ll know what it is.”

Chapter 2

Peter and Noah hefted the old chest together through the dark, narrow hallway, their shoulders scraping the walls as they went. They stopped at the end in front of a closed door. Peter gave a quick knock and pushed the door in.

Grandpa Mac sat propped in his bed reading a book. He peered over his spectacles as the boys shuffled in.

“Hey, Grandpa,” Peter panted, “we found this old chest full of papers up in the attic. It looks like it was written a long time ago. Do you know what it is? Is it real?”

“Of course it’s real. You’re holding it aren’t you.”

“That’s not what I mean. I mean, is it true?”

“Ah...well now. That’s a question everyone must answer for themselves. I could tell you ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but none of what I say can make any difference. What matters is what you think, because you’re the one who has to decide how you live your life.”

Noah raised an eyebrow. “I am so confused right now.”

“What I mean,” Grandpa chuckled, “is that these pages were written to inspire a better life, a life away from brain-rotting television screens and out among a world of real adventure. What matters about these pages is what they whisper to your heart, and if you let that message change you.”

“So, it is real?”

“What do you say we find out together? Noah, will you push that old chest over to this old man so that he can reach, please?”

Noah slid the chest over the rough pine planks to the bedside. Grandpa Mac reached his frail hand inside and thumbed a small bundle from the top of the stack.

Grandpa Mac cleared his throat and started to read.

Some stories must be told, even if you are afraid to tell them...

“Wait, Grandpa. We already read that part. We’re on the next page,” Noah interrupted.

Grandpa placed the first page aside and started again.

Chapter 3

You wouldn’t have known by looking at him, but Brawny was only six years old. He was larger than any ten-year-old, so most people didn’t believe him, but six he was, and stronger than an ox. And fast. The doctors never could figure out why or how. He was a freak of nature born for exploring. Yes sir, the best explorer who ever lived, that Brawny McLean.

Brawny’s four-year-old brother, Keen, was as small as Brawny was large, and just as unusual. His nose was like a bloodhound’s. He could smell your socks from a mile away and know you were coming. He also had a strange gift for speech. He spoke full sentences before his first birthday. And by the end of their two-week vacation to Mexico he was speaking fluent Spanish.

Brawny and Keen were an odd pair, one you might never think to make. But it was precisely this odd pairing that brought them to places and friends that most people assume can only exist in fairy tales.

Chapter 4

Little Keen stood on the brink with his hands raised high. He breathed in deep, letting his chest expand with the morning air. “I love the smell of morning!” he yelled, and the happy echoes answered back off the distant canyon walls.

Brawny laughed in agreement and yelled his own reply into the canyon below. “And I love camping!”

“I can’t wait to go exploring. Do you think mom and dad are awake yet?” asked Brawny.

“I think so. I smell bacon and eggs.”

“You do not! From way up here? Our campsite is way down the hill.”

Keen blushed and lowered his head. “I know where our campsite is, you ogre. And yes, I do smell it.” Keen slid down from the large boulder and looked up. “You comin’?”

Brawny jumped over Keen’s head to the soft forest floor. Keen tried to look unimpressed.

Together they raced toward camp. As Brawny approached the picnic table he caught a savory whiff of the bacon and eggs. Man, he’s got a freaky nose, Brawny thought to himself.

Chapter 5

“Wait a second, how far away from camp were they?” asked Noah.

“Oh, I don’t know, it sounds like a few minutes’ run or so.”

“That’s impossible,” scoffed Peter.

“No it’s not!” jumped Noah. “I’ve heard of kids that can smell much better than adults. Their noses are cleaner, and more sensitive, I guess.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, do you?”

“Well you don’t either. Maybe he could smell that well. You don’t know.” Noah’s hands and arms were spread open balancing the possibility.

Grandpa glanced over the top of his thick spectacles. “Would you like me to go on?”

Chapter 6

The boys chomped down their breakfast noticing, as they always did, that food in the woods tasted better than food in the kitchen.

“Can we go exploring now, Mom?” Brawny asked with his last bite still rolling in his mouth.

“Oh, come on, nasty! Don’t talk with your mouth full!” Keen blocked his view with his arm.

“Sounds like fun,” Mom replied. “Just stay close. There are wolves in this forest, you know. But you’ll be safe as long as you don’t wander off too far.”

“Yes. Boys, stay close.” Dad nodded. “Oh, and don’t forget to bring your survival gear.”

“Yeah, and our new flashlights, too!” exclaimed Keen.

Brawny and Keen hopped into the tent and quickly collected their gear. Ropes, pocket knives, canteens, snack foods, and shiny new flashlights went piling into their backpacks.

“Ready?” asked Brawny.

Keen shifted the weight of his backpack on his shoulders and gave a double thumbs up. “Shnoogy!” For whatever reason, Keen liked to make up words, and this was one of those words.

“I’m guessing that means yes. Let’s go!”

Chapter 7

“How old were these kids?” asked Peter.

“Six and four,” replied Noah.

“Yes. That’s right,” confirmed Grandpa Mac.

“And they’re going to go wandering. In the woods. By themselves,” Peter scoffed.

“They were exploring off on their own much earlier than six and four,” added Grandpa Mac.

“That’s crazy.” Peter shook his head.

“Well, like we read in the beginning, they were precocious little buggers. And besides, is it really all that safe to play it safe? We can lock ourselves in from danger for fear of dying, but what does that help? Our life goes ticking by all the same, without a laugh or a dance to show for it. If it’s living that you want, some might say that playing it safe is the most dangerous strategy of all.”

“Actually, that kind of makes sense,” said Peter.

“Of course, it makes sense, so long as you’re not stupid about it,” said Grandpa.

The boys laughed and settled into their seats.

Chapter 8

Brawny sped down the narrow path after a jack rabbit, a cloud of dust in his wake.

Keen had sprinted after the rabbit too, but Brawny had disappeared ahead, as he always did. The extraordinary thing about Brawny’s running was how un-extraordinary it looked. No gritted teeth. No strained muscles. No grunts or groans. Just effortless strides at a deceptive pace.

The jack rabbit disappeared into the thick underbrush. Brawny stopped and looked back for Keen but didn’t see him. Suddenly Brawny realized how far he had run from camp. “Mom! Dad! Can you hear me?!” The only reply was the whisper of the wind through the tall, dark trees.

Finally Keen caught up to where Brawny was standing. “You’ve got to stop doing that!” Keen panted. “How about next time you give me a piggy...”

Brawny’s hand snapped up and he spun around. “Shhh. Did you hear that?” He squinted into the darkness.

Keen turned to the woods, noticing them for the first time. “Woah. It’s dark here.”

“It’s these old trees. They block out the sun.” Brawny’s voice was quiet and fearful.

“We should go back now.” Keen’s eyes darted from shadow to shadow, not yet adjusted to the darkness. His ears and nose were playing tricks on him.

Little did they know, deep in the forest, hidden in the darkness, a pair of glowing yellow eyes was watching, and drawing closer.

Chapter 9

Brawny slipped his backpack to the forest floor, knelt over it, and began to unzip.

Keen whispered over the harsh sounds of metal zippers, which seemed too loud in this dark place. “What are you looking for?”

“My flashlight,” Brawny whispered back.

Keen looked around, still trying to quiet his heavy breathing. Suddenly he froze. “Brawny,” Keen whispered nervously, his eyes darting side to side. “I think I smell a wolf.”

Brawny’s hands stopped moving. He looked up and scanned the darkness for movement. He saw nothing. Brawny looked back at Keen and mouthed the words, almost without a sound. “Are you sure?”

Keen took another slow sniff, held his breath, and nodded.

Brawny clamped the top of his unzipped backpack shut with one hand, grabbed Keen with the other, and started to run for the light.

An angry snarl echoed through the trees. An enormous black wolf with glowing yellow eyes leapt out and charged toward the boys, crashing through branches and over small trees. The dark shape was as large as a horse. Rows of giant teeth dripped with froth, and two yellow eyes gleamed through the shadows.

Brawny raced through the trees pulling Keen by the hand.

Keen watched the monster crash closer as he struggled to push the words through his tightening chest. “Run faster, Brawny!”

Chapter 10

Brawny’s teeth gritted and his grip tightened. The burst of speed jerked Keen forward, off his feet, leaving his legs flapping like a kite tale behind. The maze of trees blurred as Brawny weaved in powerful strides, his breathing deep and rhythmic.

But the giant wolf crashed closer, his glowing yellow eyes fixed on his prey. This monster is faster than any ordinary wolf, thought Keen.

The forest was thinning and shafts of light filtered down through the trees. Keen could now see the wolf’s thick black hair and long white teeth pushing through the forest only steps behind. Suddenly the wolf flinched and slowed, as if struck by some unseen blow. The wolf turned back and regained his course, zig-zagging left and right to stay in the shadows.

Keen’s eyes widened with understanding. “The sunlight makes him slower!”

Chapter 11

Keen pointed up the hill to a large clearing. “Run to the light!”

Keen whipped around by his hand as Brawny leaned into the turn, his fingers crushed purple by Brawny’s tightening grip. A spray of soil washed over the nearby trees.

Up the hill they charged. The forest growth was thin around the large rocks on the steep slope.

Keen watched in fear as the wolf turned and followed them up the sunlit bank. The wolf’s black fur smoked and smoldered beneath the morning rays. The yellow eyes squinted to bear the searing pain, but the wolf’s dark appetite drove it onward, hungry for the kill.

Up ahead on the hill lay a pile of boulders that formed a small entrance to a granite cave. Brawny pushed faster, aiming for the narrow hole. The wolf snarled as he fell further behind. Brawny ran faster still, his feet pounding the earth, his movements precise and focused.

Still running up toward the cave, Brawny flung his backpack ahead through the deep hole with agile precision. Keen was thrown next. Keen arced gracefully downward feet first toward the cave and watched Brawny on the earth below slide through the hole and open his arms for the catch. Keen straightened like a pencil, and into the cave he went.

Brawny caught Keen and rushed back away from the cave entrance. The wolf crashed against the rock opening above their heads. A loud snarl and a howl echoed into the cave. Sharp claws and angry teeth slashed at the granite, desperate to get inside.

“Come on, Keen!” yelled Brawny.  “Back into the cave! Run!”

Chapter 12

Brawny and Keen fumbled for their flashlights as they stumbled away from the entrance. Keen found his light first and flicked on the beam. Then they both stopped. The giant expanse of the cavernous mountain swallowed their light like a dark castle swallowing a match.

Deep into the cave they ran, searching desperately for a way out. On and on the large tunnels went, twisting back into the mountain with no sign of stopping. For an hour they ran, but found no escape.

Keen sat down on a rock to rest, his head and hair hung wet and heavy with exhaustion. He breathed deeply through his nose, then popped up his gaze. “Do you smell that?”

Keen shined his flashlight back in the cave and stared. “It smells...weird.”

Without a warning or a sound, a large rock moved in the distance.

The silent rock moved again. It was rolling toward them, slowly at first, and then faster, gliding along like a ghost.

Brawny jump onto a nearby boulder and yanked Keen up by the collar. Together they watched as the black, furry ball rolled nearer. Then the ball stopped. Two big white eyes blinked open, and a giant set of pointy teeth started to talk. “Blah blaey whoa bur?” said the black, furry ball.

“Don’t eat us!” screamed Brawny.

Chapter 13

“I don’t think he’s going to eat us,” said Keen. “He’s just asking our names.”

Brawny’s brow twisted above his wide open eyes. “What?”

“Hi, little guy. My name is Keen, and this is Brawny.” Keen crouched down and approached the little creature.

The black furry bundle was about the size of a basketball. The creature’s front was mostly face with two big eyes, and a huge set of sharp white teeth. Two floppy ears stood stood on top his head. He didn’t have any legs or hands, but moved about by rolling.

“Blah bleh uh Blieb Blob,” said the creature.

“Nice to meet you Blieb Blob,” replied Keen with a big smile.

The teeth smiled back and the ball bounced with excitement. Brawny thought he heard it laugh.

“Ra flue hehda bluf!” said the ball. Keen laughed in agreement.

Brawny was still very confused, but slightly less nervous. “How can you be sure he won’t eat us?”

“He says he only eats rocks,” replied Keen.

“Rocks, huh?” Brawny didn’t look convinced.

Blieb Blob could sense that his teeth made the large one nervous, so he decided to demonstrate. He rolled over to a rock and took a bite from the side. Rock crumbs spilled out of his mouth as he spoke, “Blah bluf ra hehda.”

Keen laughed as he translated.  “‘See,’ he says, ‘I only eat rocks.’”

Chapter 14

Seeing the cute little monster chomp away on his rocks made Brawny laugh. But then he remembered the wolf. “We have to get out of here! That wolf is going to break into this cave any minute, and we’ll be trapped!

Blieb Blob smiled and proudly shook his head.  “Nop nop. Blie chomp das ra.”

“Yeah! That’s a great idea!” Keen patted the little monster on the head and scratched behind his floppy ears. “He says we don’t have to worry because he can chew a tunnel through the rock for us to escape!”

Blieb Blob rolled over to the side of the cave and started to chew into the granite wall. Crumbs and dust spewed from his mouth as he chomped. The boys watched nervously as Blieb Blob slowly disappeared into the dark hole as he dug. Then there was light!

“Wow, he did it,” exclaimed Brawny.  Just then a loud crash and a howl pierced the cave. The wolf had broken inside!

Chapter 15

Keen and Brawny tore off their backpacks, and jumped head first into narrow escape. They pushed and wriggled as fast as they could toward the light.

In the cave, the wolf ran faster than ever, made stronger by the darkness.

In a flash the wolf was there pushing his large, wet nose inside the tunnel. His teeth snapped at Brawny’s toes. Brawny could feel the wolf’s hot breath on his ankles. “Hurry, Keen! He’s right behind me!”

Keen popped out of the tunnel first, threw on his backpack, and reached inside to pull out his big brother. While Keen leaned into the tunnel, he didn’t really notice that his backpack suddenly got a little heavier.

Brawny grabbed hold of Keen’s fingers. He kicked and wriggled as Keen pulled harder. The rocks scraped his chest and shoulders. Then out of the tunnel Brawny came.

The wolf howled and the earth shook.

Brawny grabbed his backpack and ran with Keen toward the smell of their dad’s famous onion hotdogs. This time they were careful to stay on only lighted paths.

Chapter 16

When the two dirty little boys stumbled into the campsite, their mom and dad scooped them up and hugged them with all their might. “Where have you boys been?  We have been so worried, looking all over for you!”

Keen quickly explained. “We got lost in the dark woods and a giant, black wolf with glowing yellow eyes chased us into a cave! We never would have escaped if it weren’t for Blieb Blob who chewed a tunnel for us through the rock!”

Brawny listened to Keen tell their story, and realized that this was going to be a hard one for mom and dad to believe.

“Uh huh. I see. And who, exactly is Blieb Blob,” asked mom incredulously.

“The little round monster we found in the cave!”

Mom paused, with a disappointed look on her face. “Keen, you shouldn’t make up stories and pretend like they are real. Having an imagination is good and fun, but this is serious and you need to tell us the truth. We were very worried about you.”

“No, it’s true, mom. Just like Keen said.” Brawny didn’t know what to say to convince them.

Keen felt so sad.  He slid his backpack down on the ground and sat on it to rest. Just then the backpack jumped and growled and out rolled a black, fuzzy ball.

Chapter 17

“No way! Blieb Blob snuck into Keen’s backpack. Oh, that’s so cool,” exclaimed Noah.

“Yeah, I bet their parents are going to flip,” laughed Peter.

“Yes. They did flip,” Grandpa chuckled. “But that’s a story for another day.”

“Oh, come on! Let’s read some more now!”

Grandpa got up and put on his shoes. “No, no. That’s enough reading for today. It’s time for our own adventures now. An adventure outside for you boys, and an adventure to the hardware store for me.”

“Ahhh, phooey!” Noah slumped in his chair like a bag of sand.

“That looks like a terrible adventure, Noah. Why don’t you go build a tree fort instead?”

Peter jumped up. “Oh, can we!? Really!?”

“Sure. There’s are plenty of wood piled up in the barn out back, and I’ll pick up some nails and rope at the hardware store.”

“Oh, this is going to be sweet! Come on Noah, you comin’ or what?”

“Shnoogy.”

Peter laughed. Grandpa laughed harder.

“Sounds good boys. Now, do you know what the most important part of a tree fort is?”

“Um, the tree?”

“Absolutely right. The tree! A nice, big, strong, full tree with open branches and a wide canopy. You find the right tree, and the fort practically builds itself…”

Grandpa wanted to say a good deal more about perfect trees and awesome forts, but Peter and Noah had already raced outside.