Crystal Brave: Earthquake at the Taum Sauk

By BK Bradshaw

The day before Crystal Brave's thirteenth birthday celebration, her
parents leave for the Taum Sauk Mountain to study petroglyphs,
planning to return the next day. All plans are disrupted by the
long-predicted New Madrid earthquake. The devastation in
Southeast Missouri cuts off all communication, leaving Crystal
desperate to find out if her p

• Language: English
• Publisher: Infinity Kids Press
• Release date: Oct 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781942905011

Book preview

Chapter One

Tomorrow is my birthday, Mom! Crystal Brave said, as Jen Brave pushed a sleeping bag down into her huge backpack. Why do you have to go on my birthday? The least you could do is let me come with you!

Look, Crystal, her mother said. I know it’s your birthday, but I promise we will celebrate when we return tomorrow afternoon. We will still have plenty of time for a party. Your dad and I have a busy semester ahead and this is the only free weekend we will have for several months. We also need to go while the weather is good. If these petroglyphs are real, they need protection.

You care more about those dumb petroglyphs than you do me! I’m only turning into a teenager once, and you’re going to miss it because of your stupid job. Crystal plopped down on the couch, her arms crossed and angry tears welling up in her eyes.

Jen sat down beside her. Crystal, I know it feels like we care more about our jobs at times, but you are always more important to us than our work. Have we ever missed your birthday before?

Crystal shook her head.

We can do both, Crys, Jen continued. We can do our jobs and be here for you. We will go check out the petroglyphs and be back tomorrow afternoon to celebrate. You and Nan can get everything ready, just as we had planned, and you’ll never even miss us.

But you were going to come to the barn and watch me ride King tomorrow, Crystal complained.

We can still watch you ride tomorrow when we get home, Jen said as she put her arm around Crystal’s shoulders.

Crystal sighed and looked into her mother’s convincing eyes. She knew her mother was right, because her parents had never missed her birthday before, but sometimes she still felt a little jealous of the time they spent at work.

You promise? Crystal begged.

I promise. Jen patted Crystal on the knee. And Nan will take good care of you while we’re gone, won’t you, Nan?

Nan, Crystal’s grandmother, grabbed two bottles of water out of the fridge and put them into Jen’s backpack. As always! she replied boisterously.

A horn blared outside, and Jen hopped up and headed for the door.

Crystal became frustrated again. Wait a minute! Take care of me? I’m almost thirteen years old! I don’t need anyone to take care of me! Crystal followed her mother, arguing.

Jen sighed. Crys, you are very mature and responsible for your age, but you still need adult supervision.

Crystal recalled a promise her parents had made. You and Dad promised that when I turned thirteen I could start going on excavations with you. Besides, it would be an awesome birthday present! Crystal pleaded with a puppy dog face, Please?

Well, you aren’t technically thirteen—yet. Besides, I don’t think you’ll like this one. It’s in the mountains, about 1,772 feet above sea level. Jen grabbed her hiking boots and wide-brimmed hat and rushed out to the Jeep.

Great, Crystal said sarcastically. Why can’t you go on a dig in a valley or dried up river bed? Then again, I visited your camp halfway up Pico de Orizaba in Mexico, and that was at 3,000 feet above sea level.

I’m surprised you remember that, Crys, Jen said. Since you didn’t want to look down the entire trip up the mountain, and when you did, you fainted. When you woke up, you wouldn’t even leave the tent.

Oh, yah. Don’t remind me, Crystal responded nervously.

Chuck Brave was waiting impatiently in the driver’s seat of the Jeep. What’s taking you so long, Jen? We were supposed to meet John and Kelly ten minutes ago.

"Your daughter is insisting she go with us. After all, she is thirteen, and we promised." Jen grinned at her husband as she tossed her backpack into the back seat of the Jeep.

Crystal’s father looked at her sympathetically. I know how badly you want to go, Crys, but this trip is too dangerous.

You say every trip is too dangerous, Dad. What could be so dangerous in Missouri?

Chuck gazed at his daughter’s now sullen face. We have to either climb or rappel down to get to the petroglyphs.

Crystal felt dizzy just thinking about rock climbing and rappelling. I guess staying here with Nan doesn’t sound so bad after all. That is, if you insist.

I insist. Jen Brave kissed her daughter on the forehead and gave her a hug.

All right, but do you promise you will let me go on the next dig, no matter how dangerous?

I will never take you if it’s dangerous, Jen said. But I do promise the next time we go on a dig appropriate for children—I mean, teenagers, you can go along. Got it?

Got it, Crystal said reluctantly. So where are you going?

We’re going to Taum Sauk Mountain. A bunch of crazy teenagers went off the trail and were climbing a bluff and discovered some markings on some rocks, so we’re going to check it out. We actually won’t be digging on this trip. If the petroglyphs are a significant find, we’ll have to send for a crew with equipment.

Are the glyphs Mississippian? Crystal asked. She had to admit that sometimes her parents’ jobs as professors of archaeology seemed pretty cool.

Chuck answered, We won’t know until we get there, but they did say some of the markings looked like thunderbirds and arrows. Anyway, we have to get going, you two. We can discuss all of this after the trip. We will call you tomorrow whenever we can get some reception on our cell phones. Oh, and no dangerous adventures while we’re gone. You’ll make sure she behaves, won’t you Nan?

Nan winked at Crystal. Oh, yes. I will.

Jen noticed the wink and raised one eyebrow at Nan and Crystal.

Crystal said, Okay, we’ll behave. We promise! Love you!

Love you! Chuck and Jen called behind them as the two archaeologists sped off southward toward the Taum Sauk.

Crystal returned to her bedroom and researched the Taum Sauk Mountain on her computer. It’s about 50 miles from Kirkwood. The web site says it is in a state park with 7,448 acres of solitude amid unspoiled land with a wilderness quality hard to find in today’s world. It was formed 1.5 billion years ago from volcanic eruptions. There are trails and a 132 foot waterfall called Mina Sauk Falls. On one of the trails is Devil’s Tollgate, an eight-foot-wide passage through volcanic rhyolite that is 30 feet high.

Rhyolite? What is rhyolite? Crystal wondered. She searched rhyolite in her on-line encyclopedia. It is rock formed from volcanic ash that looks like granite. She knew granite is what they make tombstones out of. It’s glittery because it has quartz in it.

Awesome, she thought. She wished she could go with her parents instead of going to school. She could learn so much more on an archaeological trip than at school. At least tomorrow was Sunday, and her birthday. No school. Just fun with Nan, and if she was lucky, barn time with King.

Chapter Two

Crystal dodged the huge banana tree leaves, rain, and wind, trying desperately to keep up with the treasure map as it blew away. But each time it came within reach, a fierce gust of rainy wind pulled it away. Her feet became heavy as she ran through the sticky mud. The earth began to tremble and rocks began to fall from above. The map disappeared in the chaos, lost forever.

She awoke in her dark room. It’s just a dream, she thought. The rocks, shells, and containers of bugs began to rattle on her shelves. I’m still dreaming. It’s just a dream. The windows rattled. The rocks began to fall off the shelves, along with books and picture frames of Mexico and Guatemala. I’m dreaming of an earthquake. She covered her head with her blanket as her bed shook. I will wake up in a few minutes and it will just be some kind of strange nightmare.

Nan screamed into her dream, Crystal! We’re having an earthquake! Come to the doorway and hold on!

Crystal peaked out from under her blanket. It’s just a dream!

No, Crystal! We’re really having an earthquake! Get to the doorway! Hurry! Nan pulled Crystal’s quilt off of her bed and put it over their heads as pieces of ceiling tiles fell on them. They rushed to the doorway, tripping over books and jars.

It stopped. The rattling and jolting turned to quiet stillness. One last picture frame toppled off of her shelf and busted to pieces on the floor.

What’s going on, Nan? Crystal looked around her room. It was wrecked.

We had an earthquake. Nan had fear in her eyes, and her hands were trembling. Crystal snuggled closer to her under the quilt.

Crystal recalled a National Geographic special on earthquakes. Scientists have been predicting an earthquake on the New Madrid fault line. Maybe it finally happened!

Crystal heard a scratching sound on the floor. She peered out from under the quilt and saw her Iguana crawling around on the floor in a pile of papers.

It’s okay, Zeus. I’ll fix your aquarium. She turned over his huge aquarium with a big heave and picked up the rocks and sticks that had spilled on the floor. She placed him back inside.

Her fishbowl had shaken itself to the edge of her desk, so she scooted it back.

You okay, Beta?

The fish looked expressionless, as if nothing had happened.

A faint meow came from under her bed. Crystal pushed away piles of books and peered under her bed.

It’s okay, Boots. You can come out, now.

The cat didn’t want to come out of the safety of the bed, but she edged her way out to Crystal. Crystal scooped her up and gave her a gentle, reassuring hug.

Crystal realized that Tut, her golden retriever, had been sleeping on the porch outside during the earthquake. She looked out her window at the mess in her yard. Ninety-three million miles away, the sun was beginning to rise, unaffected by the quake here on Earth. Sparks were flying from the electrical poles outside and the neighbors stood out in the street in their pajamas. Under her window, the porch roof was separating from the house.

Tut! Crystal yelled.

She ran out of her room and down the stairs with Nan trying to keep up. Picture frames that once hung in an elaborate display on the wall above were now broken and lying in pieces all over the stairs. The path to the front door was like an obstacle course.

Tut! Here boy! Where are you, Tut?

Crystal whistled for her dog. She could hear him whimpering outside the door. She pulled on the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge. It was jammed. Tut started barking anxiously. She studied the entrance and could see that the door jamb was crooked, and the door was now wedged into the opening.

She dodged toppled lamps, overturned bookcases, and pots and pans to get to the back door off the kitchen. Unlike the front door, the back door was standing wide open. She ran around the house to the front porch. The floor of the porch was cracked and sloping, and the porch swing was dangling by one chain. Tut was standing on the porch floor, but his front leg was injured and the slope was throwing off his balance. Crystal began to climb the steps up to the porch, but as she peered up at the roof, it creaked. She backed down off of the steps.

Crystal! Get away from that porch! It’s going to fall! Nan screamed from the front yard.

Come here, Tut! Crystal patted her thighs, hoping he would muster up the courage to come to her. Hurry, boy!

Tut whimpered and barked a loud frightened bark, confused about whether to stay on the porch that had always been safe, or to flee.

The earth began to tremble under Crystal’s feet.

An aftershock! Hurry, Tut!

Tut stood up on three legs and began to hobble toward Crystal. He stopped at the edge of the porch, afraid to attempt the stairs.

The porch roof screeched. One of the support poles began to fall away. Crystal bolted up the stairs and grabbed ahold of Tut’s collar. She pulled him down the stairs and off the porch, just as the porch columns fell and the roof crumbled to the ground.

Nan cried out, Crystal! Behind you!

Crystal turned to the street; a light pole was falling toward them. She grabbed Tut’s collar and began running toward Nan, who was screaming at the top of her lungs. The ground below her shook violently, making it nearly impossible to run. Tut struggled to overcome the pain in his leg to keep up with Crystal.

Nan stood in the middle of the yard where nothing could fall on them. She had grabbed a pad off of the patio furniture in the back yard and they all got under it. Crystal worried about Boots, Zeus, and Beta. Please be okay, she hoped. Please be okay.

The trembling stopped again. Crystal could hear babies crying and neighbors calling out to one another.

Are you okay, Nan? Crystal looked at Nan for injuries.

Nan’s voice was shaking. I think so. Are you okay?

Yes, but Tut is hurt. I have to check his leg.

Crystal lifted the pad off of their heads and