Creature Hunt on Planet Toaria

By Mandy Eve-Barnett

A robotic protector, an invading creature, and four friends on an adventure...
Join Lenni, Troon, Braze, and Nevis on their terrifying mission to seek out and destroy a creature intent on invading their planet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dream Write Publishing
• Release date: Oct 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781988723334

Mandy Eve-Barnett

About the author – Mandy is a fairly new Canadian resident, who has a wealth of experiences to draw from for her writing. She has lived in South Africa, England and Canada and the uniqueness of each continent has left its essence within her. An avid reader her whole life, it wasn’t until she joined a local writing group, the Writers Foundation of Strathcona County, that the writing ‘bug’ gripped her. Now Mandy Eve-Barnett writes with an all-encompassing passion and is deeply involved with the foundation and its members. Writing in various genres, Mandy is published in anthologies, on numerous web sites and in the local newspaper as well as regularly blogging about her writing journey. She has successfully completed two National Novel Writing Month challenges in 2009 and 2010 and the subsequent volume of work has resulted in two novels. In September 2011, she released her first kid's book "Rumble's First Scare."

Book preview

Creature Hunt on Planet Toaria

Mandy Eve-Barnett

Dream Write Publishing Ltd.

P. O. Box 57083 RPO Eastgate

Sherwood Park AB T8A 5L7

Canada

www.dreamwritepublishing.ca

2018 © Mandy Eve-Barnett

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without written permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. The characters and situations in these stories are the creation of the author. Dream Write Publishing and the author are committed to providing quality literary products.

General Fiction: Young Adult and General Audience

Creature Hunt on Planet Toaria

ISBN # 978-1-988723-33-4

Cover image and illustrations by Matthew McClatchie

Library and Archives Canada Cataloging in Publication

Creature Hunt on Planet Toaria

Eve-Barnett, Mandy (b. June 18, 1958-)

Sherwood Park AB

McClatchie, Matthew (b.)

Edmonton AB

Available in E-Book and Print-on-Demand

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Discussion Questions

About the Author

CHAPTER ONE

Come back here, Bubble - you'll get stuck up there.

Lenni called to her pet in vain. Bubble climbed up the bark of the tree in the usual ‘bot’ wobble side-to-side manner, getting higher and higher. As she watched her pet, Lenni could see the two moons begin to converge in the magenta evening sky. Once they were one moon, she would need to be safely at home behind the dome wall. Lenni realized there was only one thing she could do, climb up the frackist tree and carry Bubble down.

I'm coming to get you, Bubble. We have to go home.

Bubble turned slightly, the bot’s turquoise edged armor plates sliding over one another, the distinctive notch on one identifying Bubble from Lenni’s friend's gruggle pets. Careful to avoid the oozing sap buds on the branches, Lenni slowly caught up with the robotic creature. Once she had one hand on Bubble's shell she tugged as hard as she could until at last she made the ‘bot’ loosen its grip and fall downward. Lenni watched her gruggle roll into a tight ball before bouncing on the ground with a metallic clang. She then retraced her route down the tree, but on the last branch stepped on a sap bud. Her foot became instantly numb and she toppled the rest of the way to bump into Bubble's rounded form. Looking up Lenni felt panic, the sky was a lot darker, the magenta turning to burgundy and she knew the light would vanish soon. Clipping a harness onto Bubble, she dragged her reluctant pet as quickly as she could, back to the security gate, hobbling as the feeling slowly returned to her foot.

Halt!

Lenni froze at the gruff order emanating from a large figure in front of her.

Please, my gruggle got stuck in a frackist tree and I had to climb up and then my foot went numb and...

All right, girl, enough. Get inside this instant. You know the rules.

Lenni nodded and hurried through the gateway relieved to be behind the stronghold walls. Bubble resisted her pulling on the leash and rolled up tight.

What’s the matter with you? Don’t you want fuel and an energy boost tonight?

The gruggle stayed rolled up and she had no option but to drag her pet on their way home. Green fronds of whickety vines lit her way along the metal path; the sky was now its darkest maroon, and the moons glowed as one.

I’m in so much trouble, Bubble, and it’s all your fault.

Suddenly, her pet bot sprung open, its multiple legs click-clacking on the metal path. It tugged forward with such force it caused Lenni to tumble. The shock and pain made her lose grip of the leash and as she looked up all she saw was Bubble disappearing down another path away from home.

Bubble get back here this minute! I’m so angry with you.

Lenni stood up and looked at bruises forming on both her knees. She had to go home, but also wanted to find Bubble; however, the darkness scared her. The vines would only glow for a while longer before their energy from the waking light diminished. She called again hoping Bubble would appear but when her pet bot did not return, she turned toward home, tears forming in her eyes. As she placed her hand on the sensor pad to open the door, her mother’s voice called out.

Lenni, I don’t want to hear an excuse - you are not allowed out for three moons. Come here this instant.

Shuffling along the corridor, Lenni sighed heavily. Now how do I find Bubble? Her mother stood at the display screen talking to an image of her father. Oh no, I’m in even greater trouble.

Why were you not home before single moon, Lenni?

I was, well only just, but it was converging...

Lenni! Do you want your punishment to be longer?

No, Father, I’m so sorry Bubble got stuck in a frackist tree and I went up to save ‘bot’ and then I got sap on my foot and fell down.

Lenni could not stop the tears of frustration falling and her father shook his head.

And where is Bubble now?

I don’t know. Bot scuttled off and I called and called, but bot didn’t come back and...

All right, that’s enough.

A voice called her father’s name off screen. He turned, gave a couple of commands, and then turned back to face her and her mother.

I have to go, Constant Beugg requires my presence, and Lenni I will send a couple of guards to search the area in the morning. Good night.

The screen went blank and Lenni turned to her mother.

I am really sorry. Stupid Bubble just wouldn’t come, ‘bot’ curled up and I had to drag it most of the way. I tried so hard to get home on time, really I did.

Well, now you are home and safe. Your father will find Bubble, I’m sure. I believe you did try your best to get home. Maybe I was too quick to punish you. Go and cleanse and we can select a pod meal. How does that sound?

Lenni gave her mother a hug, relieved punishment would not be given and walked down another curved corridor to the cleansing column. The metal door closed behind her as she stepped in. The tingling sensation made her giggle as always and, although she worried about Bubble; she was comforted that her father would find her pet and bring ‘bot’ home. Later, after eating her favourite pod meal with her mother, she lay in bed thinking why Bubble would run away. ‘Bot’ was a good gruggle. This was the first time Bubble had ever run away.

CHAPTER TWO

In the morning, Lenni could hear her father’s deep voice echoing along the sphere’s corridors. Anxious to know if he’d found Bubble, she jumped out of bed and hurried to the main living space. Her parents looked toward her as she entered, their expressions odd.

Did you find Bubble and bring ‘bot’ home? Where is pet? Father...?

Well, we did, but ‘bot’ can’t come home just yet.

What do you mean? Where is Bubble?

Bubble is under observation at the control center. ‘Bot’ can come home in a few days.

Why is ‘bot’ there? What happened? Can I go and see Bubble?

Lenni, come and sit down. You’re making my head dizzy with all your questions.

She did as her mother asked and sat between them, looking from one to the other.

We feel it is time you knew the gruggles’ real purpose, Lenni. They are excellent pets, but also a protector; that is why every child has one; it is your own personal guard. They are allocated to each child at birth, and no matter what, they will protect that child even at the cost of their own existence. It seems Bubble did not run away from you but distracted something from you - to save you.

I sort of knew about the protection thing, Father. What kind of something was ‘bot’ chasing? Is ‘bot’ hurt? Oh, Father, is Bubble really all right?

"Bubble is fine, Lenni. We are downloading its memory and visual circuits to