Harris Huxley Finds a Fissure to the Past

By Susan Schroeder

Harris Huxley experiences a disturbing earthquake that leave him questioning his safety only to find out that one of his friend’s safety is really at stake. He and the guys hurdle at the chance to help Lena, and together they find a fissure to the past, only to discover that Hilde has fallen into the fissure. Both exhilarating and terrifying, the past is a place of extraordinary experiences. Harris learns new sword skills along with table manners as he maneuvers his way through an amazing castle filled with hidden passageways. Follow Harris and his friends as they rescue their friends in the adventures Harris Huxley Finds a Fissure to the Past.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Schroeder
• Release date: Dec 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370529643

Susan Schroeder

Aspiring Author and Science Enthusiast.

Book preview

Harris Huxley Finds a Fissure to the Past

Book Three

In the Harris Huxley Series

Harris Huxley Finds a Fissure to the Past

By Susan Schroeder

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

©2016 by Susan Schroeder. All rights reserved.

Ebook printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address Magnanomite Publishing, 2542 Willow Knoll,

St. Louis, MO, 63129.

Cover design by Howard Schroeder

Editing by Karen Dowell

ISBN #9781370529643

Magnanamite Publishing Introduces

The Harris Huxley Series

Book One: Harris Huxley Knows What’s Behind the Door

Book Two: Harris Huxley Falls Into Something Strange

Book Three: Harris Huxley Finds a Fissure to the Past

Coming Soon

Book Four: Harris Huxley Plays a Dangerous Game

Book Five: Harris Huxley Takes a Dare

Preface

Sometimes, out of the blue, you get the jolt of your life. An adrenaline rush that leaves you shaking with fear and exhilaration all at the same time. An event that comes out of nowhere, and is so unexpected that you have to ask yourself, ‘Did that really just happen?’

It was during History class, a real snoozer of a lesson, and I heard it before I felt it, the sound glass makes when it clinks together quickly, almost like the sound of someone jingling their keys. It started low, and then it began to build. I saw it next, the posters on the walls started to quiver, and a few fell to the floor, whizzing back and forth as they drifted down. Then, I finally felt it. The ground under my feet started to shake and rumble as the desk I was sitting in began to sway back and forth. It felt like a big hand was trying to push me out of my seat.

I saw other students drop to the floor and roll up like a ball under any stable piece of furniture, so I followed their lead. I crawled over next to Justin and we huddled together under a utility table. There were kids sliding under any stable surface they could find. The rumbling seemed to go on and on as desks toppled over, objects in the room crashed to the floor, breaking into pieces, posters peeled off the walls, and windows shattered, sending shards of sharp glass to the floor. Things were raining down all around us, and all we could do was cover, waiting for it to end.

As suddenly as it started, it stopped. No one moved, we just sat still and waited for it to start again. When it didn’t, we cautiously lifted our heads and looked around.

The teacher stood up first, his eyes darting around, looking at every one of us. Is anyone hurt? he asked.

No one said a word. Can anyone answer me? he asked again.

Slowly, we started to unfold our bodies and stand up. One by one, my classmates and I struggled to an upright position, surrounded by the wreckage of our classroom. No one appeared to be injured, but everyone appeared to be shaken up. As strange as it all was, no one was crying, and no one wanted to say a word. We waited in silence, afraid that a sound from one of us could set if off again. The door cracked open and the assistant principal stuck his head into the room. He asked the teacher if we were alright, and then quickly assessed the damaged room. When he was convinced we were safe, he left to check the next classroom.

Okay then, let’s get the broom and sweep some of this mess up. Everyone put your desk upright and move it to the side of the room, I’ll sweep up, and then we’ll do the other side. The teacher worked to get us moving in an effort to restore some normalcy back to our day. We worked together to get the mess cleaned up and arrange the desks back into rows. We were all seated again when an announcement came over the intercom.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have just experienced a rather strong earthquake. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the building, although a little worse for wear, has no major damage. We are monitoring the news to find out if there is any major damage to the roads or bridges in the area. Although it was a frightening experience, I think we have seen the worst of it. Please stay calm, and we will keep you posted if anything does come up.

Wow, that was probably the most intensely scary thing that has ever happened to me! It was like the world was completely out of control, and I had no power to stop it, no one did. As I sat looking around at all the solemn faces in the room, I couldn’t help but wonder what effects the earthquake had on my house, my stuff. Was my house okay? Was my mom okay? Was Dad okay? Did my clubhouse make it through, or was it now just a pile of wood lying in the yard?

I wanted to go home and see what this earthquake had done to my life. Deep down in my gut, I knew there would be something that was different, but I couldn’t imagine what it was, not right then anyway.

Chapter One

My hands were still shaking as I dug my journal out from beneath my mattress and box spring. I took the flat, jagged object out of my pocket and shoved it under the mattress where my journal had been just moments ago. My fingers were still covered with mud and dirt that left marks on the pages as I flipped to the one I was looking for. It was a page I had written on the day I came back from school after experiencing the big earthquake. I was seriously shaken up that day, and when I arrived home I was relieved to find my parents and house intact, I recorded how the experience had affected me. I was horrified that something out of the blue could affect my world so completely. I wrote about how powerless I felt when the world went suddenly out of control. I wrote about how relieved I was when I found everything normal. Except, everything wasn’t normal, not at all. As I would soon find out, everything was far from normal.

I lifted a pen off my desk and pushed down on the plunger. I felt an urgent need to write it all down before I forgot any of it; I didn’t want to leave out even the smallest detail. Thinking back, it all seemed so intense, so strange, but most of all, so real. I still can’t believe it happened, and I can’t believe it happened to all of us. The hardest thing to grasp, I think, is how we are going to live with the things we’ve seen. So, this is my version of ‘The Fissure to the Past’.

It started the same day the big earthquake happened. After I checked on my mom, my house and the Clubhouse, I wrote some stuff in my journal, then met the guys up high, in the Clubhouse. We talked about the earthquake and how weird it was, and how scared we were at the time. We were all afraid that when we got home our houses and our favorite things might have been destroyed. But more importantly, we were afraid that an earthquake could happen again at any time.

Willie was telling his version of the earthquake event. He claimed that he had crawled under the teacher’s desk, WITH THE TEACHER! He was telling us that the poor math teacher was so scared she threw her arms around Willie for comfort, and had tears in her eyes. His voice got louder and louder as he came to the part where it looked like she was going to cry, and he patted her on the back, comforting her. He looked over at Justin and slapped him on the back saying, Can you believe that stuff?!

Dang, that kid can get loud. Every time he tells a story he gets so animated, and the volume increases each time he tells it. We were hearing the story for the fourth time, when suddenly we heard a scream, a blood-curdling scream! It was unmistakably a scream of real fear.

What was that? Justin whispered. He said it so quietly I couldn’t hear what he said, but I could read his lips as the air from his breath moved past my face. As loud as Willie could get, Justin could get just as soft.

I don’t know, replied Johnny. It sounds like someone’s in trouble.

Just as he said it, we heard the scream again. I jumped up, grabbed the rope, and swung down to run in the direction of the scream. It seemed to be coming from the woods behind Justin’s house. Johnny and Justin caught up to me and the three of us were racing down to the end of the street where we would cut between Mr. Myer’s house and the vacant lot to go into the woods. I could hear Willie behind us huffing like an old dog.

When we reached the trees, we slowed down, running carefully along the uneven path. I could feel the tall grasses and brambles catching on my pants as I followed the trail. I could hear the steps of the others behind me as I went around the bend, up the hill to our favorite secret place in the woods.

We were lucky to still have a woods so close to our houses, but even better, there was a cool little clearing with the remains of an old stone home. The rock foundation was still intact, so was an old rock fireplace, and rock steps that led upward to the empty sky. They were uneven and hard to climb, but they were so cool. We played King of the Hill on them. Willie always won because he could plant his feet solidly on the rocks and then push us down the steps. It always seemed like fun at first, but once you were tossed down those uneven steps and landed on the hard ground, you were glad you hadn’t broken your neck.

We stayed in the clearing to catch our breath. We waited for Willie to catch up and he finally came, stomping his feet like an old Clydesdale horse.

You think the scream came from here? I panted.

Johnny, still breathing hard, nodded his head.

Then maybe we should look around. Spread out a little, I said as I stepped away from the guys. I walked over to the fireplace and looked at the rock. Moss lined the north side making it look like a mat of green carpet grew on the rock. I reached out and touched the moss. It was soft and wet to the touch. As I ran my finger down the moss my eye glimpsed a white, shiny surface. I peered intently at the rock that had split and saw that new rock was showing. My eye followed the new seam, observing that as it went down the fireplace, it grew larger until I saw an actual fissure in the ground next to the rock.

I backed up to look, and sure enough, there was an opening. I crouched down to get a better look, and oddly enough it seemed as if light was coming from under the ground. Lowering my head to get a better look, I heard Justin yell, Over here! I found something over here!

Instead of peering into the opening, I jumped up and followed the sound of Justin’s voice. He was standing over another opening, except this opening looked big, really big.

Justin gently pushed my leg and I stepped to the side of the opening. Apparently, I was blocking a ray of sunlight that was illuminating the space below. Someone was standing down in the area where the ray of light was shining. I bent down to get a better look, and I could see a girl standing in what appeared to be a cavernous room.

I got down on my knees, like Justin had done, and pushed my head further into the opening. I could see who it was. It was Lena Grumeuller, she was our age. She always hung out with her sister, Hilde, who was a grade ahead of us in school. The two sisters looked a lot alike, but Hilde was taller. As I peered into the opening, it looked like Lena was all alone in the hole.

I glanced up at Justin and asked, How did she get down there?

He shook his head, I don’t know.

Lena, what are you doing down there? Justin hollered through the opening.

Lena, who had seen us through the hole, yelled up, Who’s up there?

Justin put his head down farther and yelled, It’s me, Justin. Harris is right here. Johnny and Willie are here, too.

Johnny and Willie were standing right behind us, and Willie was blocking that precious ray of sunlight, making it impossible to see Lena’s face. I took my elbow and pushed him back to let the light ray shine in.

Hey, stop that! protested Willie.

We can’t see her unless you move out of the light, I shot back.

Willie moved, and again we could see Lena standing in the hole.

What’s down there? Johnny asked as he dropped to his knees.

Lena put her hand up to her eyes to block the ray of light. She moved her head to get a better look at us.

I need help, could someone come down here? she pleaded.

How did you get down there? Justin asked. His eyes scanned the area, looking for a way to get down to her.

Lena glanced around at the space and pointed to something none of us could see from where we were standing. Over there, you have to go over there. We found steps leading down to this big, huge room. It’s really cool, but I need someone to come down and help me. As she said those words, she started to cry.

Justin was the first one to get off his knees and move in the direction that she had pointed. I was right behind him. From where we were standing, it didn’t look like there was any opening, until you were right on top of it. The recent earthquake must have created a fissure, a large opening in the ground that gave way to a stone stairwell. The steps were carved stone, and curved outward, the width increasing as they descended into the large room below.

As I traveled down the steps, it became clear that I was entering a very grand room. The floor was made of smooth, polished stone. The walls were composed of large blocks of cut stone with thick tapestries and banners hanging from ceiling to floor. The ceiling was very high, with dark, wooden rafters and beams crisscrossing for support. Heavy, round chandeliers that may have once held candles were hanging from the rafters. With the sparse light that was coming through small openings in the ceiling around the room, I could see a very large wall with a grand fireplace. It was so large that a person, an adult, could stand up in it, and as many as ten people could stand shoulder to shoulder. Whoever had built this place, built it on a grand scale.

I stood in the middle of the huge room and turned slowly around on my heels. I had never been in a room so cool. It looked like it was right out of a movie that I had watched about an old English castle. ‘How did we miss this all these years?’ I thought, and then it hit me. ‘We missed it because it was well-hidden, underground. The recent earthquake had managed to expose openings for us to find it’. I was amazed at what we had found. I wanted my dad to see this!

The sound of sobbing brought me back to the reason I was here. Over in the corner of the large room, Lena stood crying. The ray of sunlight illuminated her long red hair. It glimmered in the light, and cast her in a reddish glow. Tears were falling down her milky, smooth cheeks, washing out the color of her eyes, which were light blue to begin with.

Justin was already at her side, patting her gently on her back, listening to her as she tried to tell him what had happened. I moved over to where they were standing so I could hear what she was saying.

She slipped through the ground, and just vanished, I heard her say before she broke into sobs.

Who? I asked Justin quietly.

He looked over at me, Hilde was down here with her, and somehow she lost her footing and slipped down into a crevice.

Lena stopped crying for a moment, She screamed as she fell. I ran over to where she was, and she was gone! That was when I screamed. The sobs began again.

We waited for her to catch her breath so she could tell us more. As I stood there, I watched Willie and Johnny walk around the room. It was hard to always see where they were since the lighting was so poor, but I could hear the mumbling of voices as they talked to each other.

Lena, where was she when she fell? Justin questioned her.

She shook her head and looked around. She took a step to the middle of the room, and then turned on her heels. I’m really not sure. She began to point toward the grand fireplace, then took a step toward it. She stopped, looked toward the wall with the grand tapestries, and then stopped again. I don’t know, she moaned, and the sobbing started again.

Was she standing over there, where Willie and Johnny are now? Justin pointed at the guys.

Lena put her hand to her cheek, wiped a tear, and looked over to where the guys were standing. She shook her head, I’m not sure.

Willie and Johnny finally walked over to where we were standing.

This is the coolest place I’ve ever seen! exclaimed Willie as he approached us.

Johnny was ready to add his enthusiastic reply, but when he saw Lena in tears he asked softly, "Why are you crying?

Justin spoke up for her, Hilde is missing. She was here just a few minutes ago, and then she fell into a crevice. Lena doesn’t know where she went.

Johnny nodded his head like he fully understood, and put his hand up to scratch his forehead. Where was she when you last saw her?

Justin answered again, She really doesn’t know. I think they were probably at opposite ends of the room when Hilde vanished. Upon hearing these words, Lena broke down and started to sob again. Her shoulders shook as her head bobbed up and down. Justin leaned in and touched her arm.

We’ll help you find her. She’ll be just fine, you’ll see, he said softly into her ear.

Some people always know the right words to say in a time of crisis, Justin is one of those people. I couldn’t find the words to say to comfort her, but I knew the words that needed to be said right then. Why don’t we spread out and look around? Holler if you find anything.

I looked at the guys, and they nodded in agreement. I walked over to the huge fireplace, it was the first thing I wanted to get a closer look at. Johnny followed me and said quietly under his breath, Isn’t this the coolest place on Earth?

I smiled as he said exactly what I was thinking. I nodded my head as I spoke, I’ve never seen anything like this before, ever. I walked up to the edge of the stone that made a large Roman arch above the opening of the fireplace and ran my fingers over the surface. The blocks were huge, and the stone had been cut with short, flat, decorative plains of cleavage. The rock was worn, but still showed bits of shiny crystal. It was so old, and so interesting! I let my hand run along the stone as it made an arch, higher and higher until I could no longer reach the arch at all. It was dark inside the fireplace, but I stepped in and craned my head so I could look up to find the opening for the flue. Johnny was right next to me. Both of us were standing inside the fireplace, and there was still room for more people.

Johnny stretched up to see if he could touch the top, but it was out of his reach. We positioned ourselves so that we were in the center of fireplace, but neither of us could see an opening above us for the chimney. We searched all around the fireplace, looking for anything that was unusual. I stumbled over a black, wrought-iron fixture in the floor, but when I examined it, it seemed to be just a black metal object jutting out of the floor. Neither Johnny nor I could get it to budge. I figured it must be some kind of decoration.

I followed Johnny as we walked around