The Castle of Gloom

By Timothy Haugen and Cynthia Barnhart

The Castle of Gloom is the story of Leah, a young girl who, together with an unlikely team of friends, must rescue her kidnapped grandfather. She learns lessons about the forest, the importance of biodiversity, and that all living things are in this together. The adventures of Leah will now appeal to kids who will enjoy reading about Harry Potter in another year or so.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Dec 18, 2017
• ISBN: 9781504393140

Timothy Haugen

Tim Haugen has had a life that is difficult to sum up in a few words. Born and raised in Minnesota, he has since been an exchange student to Germany; a student of biology at The American University in Washington DC; a freelance writer and photographer whose works have been published in such periodicals as Ranger Rick, Highlights for Children, Bird Watchers Magazine... He has lived in his tent for a year, sharing a patch of north Maryland woods with a traditional Native American family. He has planted pine trees in the southeastern USA. He helped clean up in the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. He has volunteered for medical research protocols at the National Institutes of Health. He has canvassed for Greenpeace. He has travelled far and wide. He owns 100 acres of Colorado foothills, which he keeps as a nature preserve. He currently works as a nurse in a facility for elderly and psychiatric patients. He is the proud father of a wonderful daughter. Cynthia Barnhart ( Barrozo) was born and raised in the Philippines, moving to the USA when she was 22. She has fond memories of her fathers garden, and the fresh tropical fruits and vegetables that he raised. While still in the Philippines she studied accounting, but switched gears when she got to America, becoming a nursing student. While continuing to advance her education in traditional nursing, she has in recent years developed a strong interest in herbal medicine and some of the other alternative methods of healing, and in promoting healthier lifestyles, including more natural foods that are less dependent upon chemicals. She is the proud mom of a wonderful daughter.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

L EAH CHARGED INTO the wildflower meadow. A cloud of butterflies swirled around her head and tickled her face with their wings.

Look, Gramps! she squealed. They’re dancing with me! It feels like I’m in a kaleidoscope. I wish things back in Sylvantown could be this nice.

The old man who followed Leah into the meadow huffed and puffed. Slow down there, Leah, he said with a chuckle. I’m not skinny anymore, like you are, and it‘s been a long time since I could even pretend to be young. I’m slow! Besides, I’ve got work to do.

Gramps settled to the ground with a grunt, pulled a cloth bag from a pocket in his overalls, and began collecting wildflower seeds. Leah plopped down beside him.

I’m sure glad Mom and Dad let me spend the summer here in the forest with you instead of with them back in town, she said.

What’s wrong with Sylvantown? He looked at her and laughed. I bet you like it with me because I don’t make you comb your hair in the morning. Now that the sun’s up, I see that it looks like a bird nest. They won’t let you into sixth grade with a hairdo like that.

Leah tugged at a few snarls in her hair. Nah. That’s not the reason.

Maybe I don’t give you as many chores as your folks. Could that be it?

Nope. That’s not it either. Despite the warm sunshine, Leah shivered, then frowned. "It’s, well… Things have gotten really weird in town. The people, I mean. Usually, when I go by Mr. McSweety’s candy store, he comes out and gives me a chocolate drop. But last week when I stopped to look at some new stuff in his window, he ran out and yelled at me. ’If you’re not going to buy anything, then move along,’ he said.

A couple days later, I stopped to smell the flowers at the Bloom’s place, and Mrs. Bloom ran out and yelled, ‘Don’t pick any!’ I didn’t even touch them! The whole town’s like that now. And there’s a stranger hanging around, talking to people. No one seems to like him, but anyone who listens to him changes. They get grumpy and mean. I think something bad is happening there.

Hmmm. Well, I’m a forest caretaker for a reason. I never liked to spend too much time in town, but I’ve known most Sylvantowners since they were kids. They’re usually good people to be around. A stranger, eh? Maybe he’s up to something, but we can’t do much about it today. I have to collect more see- Snap! Snap!

Breaking branches interrupted him. He and Leah turned to see what was happening behind them. Birds bolted into the air from a clump of bushes, squawking in surprise as they flew toward some distant trees.

There. Leah pointed toward the bushes. Is that something moving? The noise and movement stilled, and Leah saw only bushes again. Maybe it was just a breeze, she suggested hopefully.

Maybe. Gramps frowned and stared at the bushes for a moment. Let’s go. There are other places I know where we can find the seeds I need.

Yeah. L-let’s go. Leah’s voice quivered as she grasped his hand in hers. As they left the meadow, Leah glanced over her shoulder toward the bushes one last time.

CHAPTER 2

G RAMPS AND LEAH continued hiking along the forest path, stopping occasionally so Gramps could gather seeds. Sunlight painted patterns among the trees, sometimes spotlighting a singing bird or casting shadows where squirrels played Hide and Seek. Leah saw flashes of red, yellow, blue, and all the colors she could imagine. The forest filled her with a warm, friendly feeling. She quickly forgot the troubles and the stranger in town, and the odd noise in the bushes.

Gramps, why do you need to collect these seeds?

He frowned. That’s a sad story. A friend of mine just found a job as caretaker for a forest that was cut down a while back. And when they tried to replant it, those silly people planted only one kind of tree, and nothing else! Too many people forget that a forest isn’t just a bunch of trees. Forests have a lot of different parts. There’s the soil, grasses, bushes, birds, snakes…

Leah frowned at the mention of snakes.

All the different seeds I’m collecting are the magical things that will start to make that forest right again. All the parts of the forest are important. The plants and the animals all need each other. Take that blambleberry bush over there…

They walked to what looked like a bunch of sticks poked into the ground. A thin coat of tiny, green leaves drooped from the branches, which were covered with pink and orange berries.

The orange ones are ripe, but I don’t recommend them. The taste is horrible! Anyway, see that hole in the ground near the middle of the bush? That is an aloo den. Aloos always have their dens in the middle of blambleberry bushes. They-

A rustle in the grass interrupted him. Leah looked down and saw a…

S- sna- SNAKE! She jumped behind Gramps to escape the snake, but it ignored her. It slithered away as fast as it could go. Whew! I’m glad it’s gone. I hate snakes!

Gramps frowned. You shouldn’t hate snakes. Like I said, they’re part of the forest, too. But why’d he run away so fast? The animals seem frightened of something. First those birds, and now the snake. It’s weird.

Suddenly, Gramps stared in the direction the snake came from. Did you hear something? he whispered.

Leah shook her head, but an icy chill crept over her.

Let’s move on again, Gramps muttered. It’s spooky here for some reason. It feels like we’re being watched.

Tiny wings fluttered as a small bird alighted on a branch overhead.

I’ll be dipped in the creek! Gramps said. That’s a lumbustard fweezle. It’s been forever since I saw one of those.

The bird suddenly twisted its head around, stared, squawked in alarm, and bolted from its perch. It flew to a distant tree.

What was that about? Leah asked.

Gramps looked around. I can’t see anything that would make the animals so scared, but there must be something. The animals know me. They wouldn’t run away for no reason. Usually, they stop to visit for awhile.

Visit? What do you mean? Animals can’t talk!

Gramps chuckled. I suppose you’re right, in a way. Animals don’t use a human language like us. But forest caretakers know wild critters in ways that most others never learn. It’s called ‘the understanding’.

Aw, come on Gramps. Quit teasing.

I’m not teasing! If a person has the understanding, than an animal can peep or growl or hiss or whatever it does, and the person knows what the animal means. Of course, the animal must also want you to understand. In that case, the peeps or whistles or whatever sound like human talk. But if they don’t want you to understand, it’s just jabber-

Suddenly, Gramps spun around and stared. I heard something over there! Leah looked, but she saw only trees, bushes and flowers.

I know I heard something, Gramps muttered. Maybe the wind, Leah whispered.

The wind might make strange noises, but it wouldn’t scare the animals. Let’s go look. Leah followed, staring hard at every bush, tree and fallen log.

Look at this! Gramps exclaimed, pointing to a small patch of sand. In the middle was a huge footprint.

What made that? Leah whispered.

Nothing from this forest! We’d see something that big if it were still around. We’d have to! Whatever made this track can’t be-

Crack! Smash!

Branches broke just behind them. With a loud growl, something huge crashed through the trees, running away.

What in the name of Uncle Harry was that? Gramps asked. Come on. Now we’ll find out what’s going on.

As they followed the noise, Gramps sniffed the air. Do you smell something funny?

Yes, and I see something funny, too. Look at the sky.

Sickly gray and black clouds pushed away the blue sky. They rolled and twisted as they rose high into the air, as if they were in pain.

Stepping forward, Gramps and Leah suddenly left the forest and entered a nightmare. The land mirrored the sky, all gray and black. Scattered here and there were huge, blazing fires spitting out black smoke and burning piles of lifeless trees that