The Phantom Gluer of Old Fromton Town

By R.M. McLeod

Thirteen-year-old Jackson Naylor's life is being ruined by bullying. Then, one day, he receives a gift from his grandfather, a wrist-worn device called Archie, whose magical powers introduce Jackson, often hilariously, to the secret world of goblins, an overfriendly and always hungry tiger called Boris, and the truly awesome, life-changing power of glue. From that day onwards, protected from harm by his grandfather's gift, his enemies often find themselves in some extremely sticky situations, whilst Jackson finds himself laughing at their expense. That is until, one day, when Archie is seriously malfunctioning, Jacko finds himself at the mercy of a ruthless band of beefburger thieves.  

• Language: English
• Publisher: Red Panda Press
• Release date: Jan 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798201852764

R.M. McLeod

From being a small boy, R.M. McLeod has always been interested in ‘a good read’ and promised himself, from being a young boy, that one day he would also write one. He has had two books published in paperback – The Witches of Lewthan Mountain and The Escape of Athelwan. The Ghosts of Badger Wood has also been serialised in the North West Evening Mail. He lives in a fairly remote area of Cumbria and, he advises, it is the incredibly beautiful scenery surrounding his home that inspires the fantasies he so loves to write.

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Dedicated to Annabelle, and the quite amazing and stoical people of Ukraine; both of whom have shown immense courage and fortitude in the face of quite horrific and unrelenting bullying.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Born in Cheshire, R.M. McLeod studied engineering at Stockport College before reading for a degree with the Open University. Specialising in 'Risk Assessment, his work took him to many parts of the world until, in 1985, he came to live in the Lake District; there to work with the Ministry of Defence on the UK's numerous nuclear submarine projects. Now retired from his ‘day job’ and with his two children happily married, he writes traditional children's books in the comfort of his South Cumbrian cottage in the long shadow of the southwestern fells.

The Phantom Gluer of Old Fromton Town

Chapter 1

A Surprise Gift

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Gasping for breath after his exertions and now deep inside the wood that skirted the east side of his school, Jackson Naylor peered, cautiously, around the trunk of the great beech tree he had taken refuge behind. Immediately, he moved his head back again, taking full advantage of the concealment the wide, ancient trunk offered. His tormentors were still there, searching for him, wanting to do him harm!

‘Come out, Jacko!’ shouted Kieran Hughes, who at 15 was two years older than Jackson and of all the bullies who sought to make his life a misery, the one that Jackson feared the most. ‘If you stop hiding, I promise I’ll only belt you a couple of times – honest,’ continued the thug.

With pulses racing, Jackson remained where he was. He had no wish to be ‘belted’ at all, let alone twice.

Suddenly, Darren Knight, one of Kieran’s two companions, said. ‘I’m off, I’m going to a movie tonight and I have to get back home for me tea.’

‘You can’t go now,’ objected Kieran, ‘Jacko can’t be far away and when we get him, we can give the little toffee nose a really good smacking; it’ll be fun.’

‘Not now,’ insisted Darren, ‘it’s a good movie and I don’t want to be late. There’ll be another time.’

‘Me too,’ put in Liam Bradley, Kieran’s other friend and fellow hooligan, ‘there’s some good footie on tele tonight and I don’t want to miss it.’

‘But we’ve very nearly got him,’ protested Kieran. ‘Just give it another few minutes then when we’ve caught up with him, we can give him a good kicking, you’ll enjoy it.’

However, with their minds made up his loutish friends shook their heads, turned on their heels and began walking back the way they had come. ‘Tomorrow,’ replied Liam, without bothering to look around, ‘we’ll get him tomorrow.’

Disappointed, but unwilling to go after his intended victim on his own, Kieran, head bowed, followed in their footsteps. As he did so, very carefully, Jackson once again peered around the tree trunk and was just in time to see Kieran’s back disappear around a bend in the path. However, suspecting a ruse, he was far too intelligent to break cover immediately and he waited a full five minutes before, he too, began heading, slowly, for the safety and comfort of his home.

‘Hello dear,’ said Jackson’s mother, as he entered the kitchen, ‘good day at school?’

He placed his book bag on the floor and nodded, unenthusiastically; there was little point in telling his mother the truth, she would only complain to the school head and experience had taught him that such complaints could only make matters worse. Even if the thugs were expelled, they lived in the same village and so could still make life difficult for him.

‘There’s a parcel for you on the table,’ continued his mother, as she finished washing a pan, ‘the postman brought it this morning.’

‘A parcel for me!’ he exclaimed, glancing across the room to where a small Jiffy bag lay on the kitchen table. ‘What is it?’

‘How should I know?’ she replied, ‘it might be a late birthday present, open it and see.’

Suddenly excited by the mysterious gift, he forgot all about his narrow escape in the wood, walked quickly across the room, picked up the package and began peeling back the sealing flap. As he lifted the contents out of the bag he frowned and shook his head.

‘What is it?’ asked his mother, drying her hands and moving to the table.

‘It looks like an activity tracker,’ he replied, sounding disappointed whilst holding up what appeared to be a black leather bracelet with a small black screen about the size of a wristwatch.

‘Who’s sent you that?’ she asked, ‘you don’t do sport.’

‘I don’t know,’ he replied, ‘it just says here place on a windowsill for twelve hours to charge,’ he held up the brief note that he had found in the bag. ‘There’s nothing about who it’s from or why it was sent. Anyway, it must operate on solar energy if it has to go on a windowsill for charging, so I’ll not be able to use it until after school tomorrow.’

The following lunchtime Jackson was in the school canteen, chatting to Alex, a new pupil who had only just arrived that morning. Alex was already looking worried. ‘So those three are the school bullies, are they?’ he asked, glancing in the direction of Kieran, Darren, and Liam, who were laughing loudly whilst sitting at a table near the windows.

‘Yes,’ began Jackson, ‘at least they’re the worst of them; so, if you take my advice you’ll stay out of their way. Their fathers are all scroats who’ve served time in prison.’

‘But why do they hate you so much?’ he asked.

‘Because Jacko’s father once arrested their fathers when he was a policeman,’ put in Jonathon, Jackson’s friend.

‘Your dad was a copper?’ said Alex.

‘A detective,’ qualified Jackson.

‘What happened, did he lose his job?’

Jackson frowned, talking about what had happened to his father was something he did not enjoy doing. ‘He was wrongly accused of stealing something,’ said Jackson, quietly, ‘and because he couldn’t prove his innocence he was also sent to prison.’

‘Oh dear,’ said Alex, sympathetically, ‘that must have been terrible, what was he accused of stealing?’

‘Drugs,’ replied Jackson, ‘he was accused of stealing drugs that had been seized in a police raid.’

‘I think I understand now,’ said Alex, ‘it must be awful for you.’

‘It is,’ agreed Jackson, but one day I shall prove my dad’s innocence and,’ he nodded in the direction of the windows, ‘take my revenge on those three, take my word for it.’

Upon returning home that afternoon, Jackson immediately went to his room. The unexpected present was just where he had left it the day before, on the windowsill. It had been a fine, sunny day and he therefore hoped, and expected, that the device would now be fully charged. Sure enough, when he picked it up to look at the face, the battery indicator was showing a full five bars.

‘So, what do I do now?’ he asked himself, speaking aloud.

‘Place the D-Drive on your wrist, of course,’ said the device, matter-of-factly.

Jackson was so surprised the thing could talk he almost dropped it onto the carpet. Then, with a shrug, did as he was bid.

‘Good,’ said the gift when he had finished, ‘how do you do, Jacko, my name is Archie, and I can now confirm that we’ve been paired together. From now on you can communicate with me just by thinking if you wish; you no longer have to use anything as clumsy or old-fashioned as speech.’

Jackson was impressed, but he managed to reply, albeit with a stammer. ‘Err...well...I’m good...thank you, how are you?’

‘Oh, I’m very well,’ began Archie, ‘very well indeed, thank you. Please stand-by for a message from your grandfather, Patrick.’

‘My who?’ gasped Jackson. ‘My Grandfather Pat is dead, he died three months ago.’

‘Very true, Jack,’ put in another voice that Jackson immediately recognised as belonging to his late grandfather. ‘Firstly, I apologise if Archie is late arriving for your birthday, but I couldn’t quite remember the date you were born, and I couldn’t get hold of your mother, so I asked my solicitors to post it to you at the end of May. Anyway, this is such a special present that you will soon forgive an old man’s failing memory.’ The voice paused for a moment. ‘When I was a young lad, like yourself, I was given this D-Drive by my uncle; then he looked like a wristwatch, but I’ve brought his appearance up to date, just for you. Archie uses sensors in order to see but don’t worry, he can see everything as clearly as yourself. As you will discover, he’s great fun, fully interactive and will allow you to do many things most people can only dream of; but a word of caution, use him only for the purposes of good, using him dishonestly or for personal gain and Archie may not obey your commands.’

Jackson frowned; mentally asking himself, how he could use a simple activity tracker for personal gain? This had to be a wind-up.

‘Anyway, enough of me talking,’ continued Granddad Pat, ‘Archie, who is adept at practising the good old art of magic, will now give you a course on the amazing things he can do. Listen carefully, enjoy your present and remember that my spirit is always here with