The Secret of the Portals: The Adventures of Bruten & Tommy

By Brant Waldeck

Bruten Stone and Tommy Staunton have just graduated from the 5th grade and are looking for adventure. On the first day of summer break, they set out to explore the woods on the edge of town, but soon find themselves in another world. They quickly figure out that they have gone through a portal within a cave, and learn from Tommy's Uncle Ron, a great explorer, that there are more portals to be explored. Along the way they meet animals that talk, ninja chipmunks, miniature people, and more.

They soon figure out that the worlds are rich in natural resources... including diamonds, emeralds, and gold! They could be rich beyond their wildest dreams, but choose to take the high road and defend the other worlds from would be profiteers, looking to exploit the other worlds and enrich themselves.

It's an adventure like no other. Are Bruten and Tommy up for the challenge?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brant Waldeck
• Release date: Oct 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301830138

Brant Waldeck

Brant Waldeck lived in a small town in rural Ohio until he was fourteen years old. From there he moved to a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. After high school, he attended Miami University (OH) and graduated with a degree in marketing. After five years working at advertising agencies, Brant set out on his own to be a freelance designer. His business evolved into a successful marketing agency. His life revolved around creativity, but it wasn’t until he had kids of his own that Brant began to explore the idea of writing. Brant credits his children as the key to his creative inspiration. The minds of children see possibilities that adults tend to shut out. The trick to being creative... never stop thinking like a kid.Brant currently resides in a suburb of Charlotte, NC with his wife, Jenny, and three kids, Gillen, Brannen and Braelyn.

Book preview

Chapter 1

INTRODUCING BRUTEN AND TOMMY

It was a fifth grade graduation like most others. Kids and their parents were milling around taking photos of small groups of friends, family and kids acting silly. Parent volunteers were cooking hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill for everyone to eat. It was a moment of accomplishment and celebration. Tommy Staunton was joined by his parents, his grandparents and his great Uncle Ron, the famous explorer…at least in Tommy’s mind. His parents and grandparents, however, thought Uncle Ron was crazy. His stories seemed pretty far-fetched, but Tommy knew they were true. He wanted to be an explorer, just like Uncle Ron. He and his best friend Bruten Stone would someday discover uncharted territory.

Bruten and Tommy had been friends for as long as either of them could remember. Bruten was always tall and strong for his age. Tommy was exceptionally smart. Together they made a great team.

They were growing up in a small rural town in Ohio, population 4,812, so there weren’t a lot of places for kids to go – no malls, no water parks, not even a neighborhood pool. This didn’t matter to Bruten and Tommy because they were explorers that could find adventure in the simplest of places. Every summer, they found new places to explore, or explored the same places, but found something new. There was something magical about their hometown.

The woods at the edge of town were part of a large national park, and it had many wonderful things to see, at least as far as Bruten and Tommy were concerned. Large rolling hills, tall mature trees, deer trails, and the feature attraction: caves. As youngsters, Tommy and Bruten had explored some of the smaller caves that they found, typically no larger than a living room, but now that they were eleven, they hoped to find something bigger. Little did they know what was in store.

Chapter 2

THE CRYSTAL CAVE

It was 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, the first day of summer vacation. Bruten and Tommy headed to the woods in search of adventure! They each brought along an adventure pack filled with all the adventure gear they accumulated over the last couple of years: rope, snacks, gloves, flashlights, small tools, cool looking rocks, and a hand drawn map of the woods that Tommy continues to update every summer.

They ventured into the woods further than they had ever gone before, hoping that there would be larger caves somewhere. They typically followed the deer trails, but this time, they found a trail that looked a little larger than that, and the muddy spots didn’t have any hoof prints. Tommy smiled because he knew they had found an old hiking trail deep in the woods. It emerged at the base of a large hill that was more than five hundred feet tall by Tommy’s estimation.

C’mon Bruten. Let’s check out those large rocks over there, said Tommy. As the boys explored some large boulders on the side of the hill, they felt a strange cool wind blowing on their faces.

Where could that cool breeze be coming from? asked Bruten. It’s summertime!

Tommy pondered for a bit, I’ll bet it’s coming from a cave around here somewhere, he said. The two boys searched the hillside until they found a small crack in the rocks nestled between two boulders the size of minivans. Cool air was gently blowing out of it like an ocean breeze, but unlike most damp, cool caves they’d been in, the breeze coming out of the crack was almost constant. Strange.

This is it! said Tommy.

Bruten started pulling on a large rock that seemed to be purposely put over the hole beneath it. Tommy wondered if someone had put it there. After some hard pulling, he was able to move the rock to the side to reveal an opening just big enough for a kid to get through. Bruten and Tommy looked at each other with wide-eyed excitement.

Are you ready for an adventure? asked Tommy.

I was born ready! exclaimed Bruten. And the two boys crawled into the hole with their gear in tow, without a clue as to the adventure that awaited them.

When they emerged from the small opening, they knew they had entered a large cave. It was mostly dark, but the light from the opening revealed stalagmites and stalactites that appeared to be white and shiny. The two boys quickly scrambled for their flashlights and switched them on. The scene before them was breathtaking!

I’ve never seen anything like this, gasped Tommy.

Bruten agreed and began exploring the cave. He shined his flashlight up and down massive stalactites, some of which must have been fifteen feet long. They were milky white and clear, and as the light hit them, they emitted rainbow patterns all around the walls of the cave. It was a tradition for the boys to name every cave they explored. The smaller caves they’d found in the past all had unique names, like The Devils Den and The Mud Palace.

We should call this place the Crystal Cave, said Bruten.

I agree, said Tommy, and the boys set out exploring the cave. They picked up samples of small stalagmites that had broken off of the floor, carefully putting some into their backpacks as mementos of their adventure, also a traditional practice of great explorers.

Bruten and Tommy could have easily spent hours exploring this cave, but then as if awakening from a dream, they felt the cool breeze coming from the back of the cave. They must have both felt it at the same time, despite being in different parts of the cave. This was a strong breeze, especially since it was in a cave!

Bruten yelled to Tommy, Do you feel that breeze? I think it’s coming from the wall right here!

Tommy joined Bruten by the back wall, and they both inspected it closely. That can’t be right, said Tommy. There’s nothing here but a cave wall."

Both boys stood there confused by the breeze that seemed to be coming from solid rock. Then they began to feel around the wall and suddenly Bruten’s hand and arm disappeared into the rock up to his elbow.

Uh…do you see this? asked Bruten.

Tommy rubbed his eyes for a second and then opened them wide as if he were seeing things. He was not.

Bruten moved his arm in and out of the wall like a street magician.

Whoa! said Tommy. What’s your next trick? Levitation?

Bruten grinned and started feeling around inside the wall. His hand brushed across small rocks, dust, and then … a key! He pulled it out quickly. Tommy, look at this! What do you think this opens? Bruten was holding a small brass skeleton key that looked like the kind you see in old houses.

Tommy felt like he’d seen a similar key before, but he couldn’t put his finger on it, Hmmm…I’m not sure, but I’ll bet it will take us further in the direction of that breeze. Let’s keep looking on this wall. Maybe there’s a secret door somewhere.

After about ten minutes of feeling every inch of the wall in front of them, they found no more magical holes, no secret locks, nothing else at all. And it appeared that the original magical hole was now gone.

This is going nowhere! Bruten hit the wall with his fist. All of a sudden, a small rock dislodged and fell from the side of the wall about three feet from the floor. The boys looked in wonder at the spot behind the rock. It was a keyhole!

Looks like you’re two for two today, Bruten, said Tommy.

Bruten grinned and placed the key into the lock. He turned it a quarter turn to the right. It stopped…and a moment later a large rock door opened slowly to reveal a narrow tunnel, not more than a foot and a half in diameter. Whoa! said Bruten. This is cool. We’ve got to see where this leads. Bruten put the key in his zip-up pocket for safekeeping. The boys removed their backpacks and pushed them along in front of them as they inched their way through the small tunnel.

Chapter 3

THE GREAT HALL OF BATS

After about twenty-five feet of army crawling, Bruten and Tommy emerged from the tunnel. Flashlights on, they could see what appeared to be a long, wide tunnel, like a large hallway.

Guess we should head that way, said Tommy, and the boys started walking toward the other end of the hallway. As they walked, they continued to shine their lights around what appeared to be normal cave walls. No amazing crystals – just cool brown rocks, dirt and a strange musty smell, but there was still that cool breeze that intrigued them. Then Tommy saw something sitting on the ground along the left wall. He stooped down to pick it up. It was a tiny reddish-brown bag full of acorns. The bag was made of velour and had an ornate B on it. Huh…that’s strange. I guess I’ll hang on to these, said Tommy as he placed them in his adventure pack. He stood up and brushed against the cave wall, knocking some loose debris to the floor. It made a startling sound.

What was that?!! said Bruten.

I just bumped the wall, said Tommy."

No, not that. After you did that, I heard something above us…like a rustling sound, said Bruten.

At the same time, the boys pointed their flashlights toward the cave ceiling. It was quite high and appeared to be very dark, and textured. Is that ceiling moving? asked Bruten.

And at the same time, they both let out a gasp and yelled, BATS!!

In an instant, the room was awash in fur, fangs, and flapping. It was chaos like the boys had never experienced. Small winged furry creatures flew in a frenzy, bumping into the boys repeatedly. Bruten and Tommy ran with arms waving wildly as if they were trying to stay afloat in a stormy sea of bats. A bat grabbed on to Tommy’s adventure pack and would not let go.

Let go!! Tommy tore off the pack and shook it, but the tiny creature was determined to hold on. Even though Tommy knew it couldn’t see him, it felt like the bat was staring at him, almost like it was studying him. For a brief moment, the chaos around him seemed to fade into the background, and Tommy thought he heard a voice in his head: BEWARE OF THE 8-LEGGED DEVIL! Then he snapped back to reality and the bat let go of his pack.

Tommy! What are you doing? yelled Bruten.

Uh what? Tommy shook his head quickly side to side as if he needed to wake up from a strange dream. Nothing. Just thought I heard something.

Uh OK, but we need to keep moving toward the end of the hall! yelled Bruten, and the boys pressed onward through the chaos.

After what seemed like twenty minutes, but was actually only two minutes, the boys reached the end of the hall. They found a four-foot opening and jumped in. Tommy was still shocked by what just happened. Had the bat actually communicated to him? Was there truly danger ahead?

Chapter 4

SPIDER TUNNEL

Free from the flurry of wild bats, Bruten and Tommy had a chance to regroup.

That was insane! exclaimed Bruten.

You have no idea, replied Tommy.

Bruten looked confused, I think I have some idea. I was there.

Tommy had to tell him, even if it seemed crazy. One of the bats…spoke to me.

Bruten thought he was joking, I heard a lot of ‘talking’.

No, said Tommy, I mean it communicated to me in my mind. It landed on my adventure pack, looked at me with blind eyes, and told me that there would be danger ahead. I know it sounds crazy…

Bruten interrupted, Not really. I just stuck my arm, elbow-deep into a wall of solid rock. Nothing sounds crazy at this point.

The boys were cut short by the one thing that brought them here in the first place: Where was that breeze coming from?

The bats had calmed down by now, and the boys had to figure out what was next. They shined their light down what appeared to be a long tunnel. It seemed like nothing special, about four feet high with rock walls.

Let’s go, said Bruten.

Tommy nodded, and they started crawling on their hands and knees down the long tunnel. They continued on this way for about 100 feet. When is this tunnel going to end? asked Bruten.

It has to end somewhere, otherwise there wouldn’t be a breeze blowing through it, said Tommy. Keep moving forward.

About 200 feet in, Bruten came to a fork in the tunnel. Which way should we go? he asked.

Tommy answered a question with a question. "Which one