Sasquatch

By Roxanne Seubert

While camping in the Pacific Northwest, Connor loses his golden retriever puppy. His life turns from bad to worse when his parents file for divorce, and he and his little sister Penny are bounced between their parents' separate homes.

In an effort to f

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book Writing Studios
• Release date: Dec 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9781960756800

Book preview

Prologue:

Grrrrr. A young golden retriever growled at a large figure hiding among the bushes. The dog glared, transfixed at the shadow not twenty feet from where he stood. The dog clenched his sharp fangs and snarled. The beast leapt up into view. Its hairy mass towered above the dog. The retriever stood his ground with an outburst of ferocious barks. The retriever arched his back and crouched down low to spring into action.

The enormous creature wavered for a quick second, turned, and then sprinted down the wooded trail. The beast ran wildly between the rocks, seedlings, and fallen tree limbs.

Boom, boom, boom.

A pounding sound echoed throughout the forest as the animal’s large feet landed with each step, startling a nest of birds, which shot up into the sky.

The retriever pursued. He chased the animal down with the grace of a wolf and gained with each stride. The beast tried to surge forward, but the dog would not yield. The animal stopped, turned, and stood upright. Its head soared among the tree limbs. He raised a hairy paw as if to strike. The dog barked, darting back and forth, threatening to attack.

The creature’s large, russet eyes flashed. He staggered backwards crashing through the underbrush. The beast retreated and ran to a rocky ledge. He swiftly leaped across the chasm and vanished on the other side into the deep forest.

The retriever sprinted forward and stopped at the cliff. He paced the edge of the ravine searching for a way to cross. He whined. The gully appeared far too wide for the dog to follow. He turned his head back towards the way he’d come and whined again. Disoriented, the dog had lost his way.

Chapter 1: Missing

A drawing of a campfire Description automatically generated with medium confidence

Connor sat on the edge of a stump and watched the fire burn. He swept his long chestnut bangs out of his eyes and stared at the campfire, mesmerized by how the light flickered. The flames licked around the corners of the cedar logs stacked in a pile. The wood popped and crackled. The fire devoured the logs one by one as the smoke billowed up into the air.

Oh, how he loved going on campouts with his dad. Was this his seventh or eighth year coming to Money Creek campground? It must be at least eight years since he began coming here at the age of five.

Connor needed alone time with his dad now more than ever, because by the end of the year his parents would finalize their divorce. At least he hoped for alone time. But that was not going to happen with his younger sister, Penny, in tow. He didn’t care how sweet his little ten-year-old sister could be, with her red hair, brown eyes, and freckles sprinkled across her nose. She annoyed him. He remembered the time she had refused to go fishing and they had ended up staying home to play house. All because she complained when she saw Connor stick a worm through with a hook on the end of his fishing pole. Penny screamed when she saw the wriggling worm dangling in midair.

The Divorce meant Connor would never have another campout alone with his dad. Now he and Penny would be shared between their parents and bounced back and forth like a couple of ping-pong balls. Connor thought back to previous camping trips. It had been guy time. He could kick back and relax. His dad didn’t care if he burped, farted, or swore. As long as he didn’t do any of these things around other campers, or worse, his mom and sister.

Connor loved coming home after a long weekend trip. He and his dad would rush through the front door on Sunday morning, laughing while they pulled off their muddy boots. They would wander into the kitchen to sit down to a table with stacks of hot buttered pancakes and maple sausage.

His mom would tell them how they reeked of stinky fish and smoke and would beg them to go wash up before breakfast. He loved how his mother and sister would sit for hours and listen to his countless stories about their fun adventures. They would gape as Connor talked about the whitewater rafting trips down class four rapids, or about the spooky noises they heard late at night, as he and his dad slept out in tents under the stars.

Connor kicked at the ground and sprayed a cloud of dirt into the fire. The soil stifled the flames for a second before they expanded again. He watched the fire burn and breathed in the scent of cedar. He didn’t want things to change. Not now. Not ever. A large log blazing in the middle collapsed into two pieces, kicking up red sparks.

Can we make s’mores now? Penny said as she appeared at Connor’s elbow and began poking at a bag of unopened marshmallows lying on a nearby stump.

Their dad approached. We should wait for the fire to burn down. You want hot coals to make melt-in-your-mouth s’mores. Connor gazed at his father, tall and thin with a mop of curly brown hair and pleasant, wide-set eyes. His dad’s resting face had a constant smile—as if a funny joke replayed in his mind.

I want one now. She folded her arms across her chest in protest.

Why don’t you pull out the ingredients and get them ready. Break up the crackers and chocolate and open the marshmallows and put them on a plate. I’ll go rinse off the roasting sticks. We don’t want our s’mores tasting like hotdogs, now do we? Dad chuckled as he wandered off towards the washrooms.

Connor felt like a s’more. All squished together and melting on the inside. He wanted things to go back to the way they were before the fighting between his parents had begun. Back to happier times like a year ago when he first got his golden retriever puppy, Dax. Oh no! Who would get Dax? Would he live with Mom or Dad? He’d have to live with Connor, wherever that was. Connor would refuse to live anywhere unless Dax could come too. Connor glanced over at the two deciduous trees where they had tethered his puppy earlier but didn’t see him.

Hey, Penny. Have you seen Dax? Did Dad take him for a walk? Connor picked up a long stick and poked at the fire.

Last time I saw him, he stole one of my hotdogs. I hope the hotdog made him sick. That’d teach him, Penny said.

Very funny. There were plenty of hotdogs. Connor used the stick to move the burning logs around. I’m going to look for him. He stood and leaned the stick up against the stump.

Don’t get mad if all the s’mores are gone. She giggled.

You’ve got a whole box of chocolate and crackers. How many s’mores can you eat?

As many as Dad will let me. She smiled and popped a marshmallow into her mouth.

I saw that, he teased.

Shhhhh. I’m sup-posed ta wait, Penny said, talking with her mouth full.

Striding over to the set of trees where they had tied up Dax, Connor looked down. The ropes lay in place, so his dad must have taken his pup with him. He pulled on the leash and saw Dax had slipped his collar again. Oh no!

A lump formed in the back of Connor’s throat. He ran across the campsite and over towards the river. He listened and heard the bubbling of the water rushing downstream. The half-eaten moon shone overhead and reflected light along the water currents as they raced by.

Dax. Here, boy. Connor whistled. His golden retriever would usually come when he whistled. But there was no sign of him. Where had his dog wandered off to?

After the Memorial Day weekend both he and Penny had school on Tuesday. A rush of panic washed over Connor. They were leaving first thing in the morning. They were miles away from home. Dax wouldn’t be able to find his way home from here. Connor raced back up to the campsite. He saw Penny and their father sitting at the campfire.

Hey, Dad, you haven’t seen Dax, have you? I can’t find him. I’ve searched for him everywhere, Connor said with a slight twinge of panic in his voice.

I don’t know, son. I thought he was with you, Dad said. He pushed a second marshmallow onto a roasting stick and handed it to Penny.

No, he slipped his collar again.

He couldn’t have gone too far. Penny, grab the flashlights from my tent. Let’s look for him before the light fades and it gets too dark.

What about the s’mores? Penny stood up. You promised, she said as she placed her hands on her hips the same way their mom did whenever she wanted to get her way.

Later, Dad said, reassuring her. After we find Dax.

Penny sneaked another marshmallow and popped the treat into her mouth before she ran off to get the flashlights.

What if we can’t find him? Connor asked.

Now don’t get discouraged. He probably ran after a squirrel. But I don’t want to lose you too. So, let’s agree. We'll meet back here in thirty minutes.

Right, Connor said, checking the time on his wristwatch.

Don’t stray too far from our tents. I’m going down the road to see if he wandered into another campsite.

Dax. Here, boy. Connor whistled again. He hoped his puppy would come bounding out of the bushes and all his worrying would be for nothing. Penny returned from rummaging around in the tents and handed their dad a black canvas bag and a flashlight.

What’s the bag for?

It’s filled with dog treats, she beamed.

Good thinking, Dad said. He took a few treats from the bag and stuffed them into his pockets before handing the bag back.

Remember, meet me back here in thirty minutes, he said before turning to go.

Got it, Connor called after him.

Penny handed one of the flashlights to Connor and kept the last one for herself. Then she dashed over to the forest, her flashlight swinging in her hand.

Wait, Penn. I need to grab my compass, Connor yelled. He ran back to the tent and grabbed the lucky compass his grandfather had given him for his thirteenth birthday.

When he popped back out of the tent and glanced around, Penny was gone.

Now where did she wander off to? Connor said. I’m going to get in serious trouble if I lose her too. Connor sighed and sprinted towards the woods after her.

Chapter 2: Sighting

Crack. Penny felt a stick snap in half under the weight of her hiking boot. She cleared her way through an overgrown part of the path covered with fallen branches and leaves. As she forged ahead deeper into the woods, she aimed her flashlight down on the trail to guide her way.

Dax. Where are you? she called. Penny strained to listen and heard a familiar noise, like a rumble, low and deep.

Grrrrr, came the noise.

Dax, is that you? The low growl turned into a loud snarl followed by the gnashing of teeth.

Grrrrr. Ruff. Ruff. Grrrrr. Ruff. Ruff.

What’s the matter, Dax? Penny pointed her flashlight to an area where she thought the noise was coming from. She caught sight of two beady eyes reflecting off the beam of her flashlight. The eyes glowed. The golden retriever stood in the brush a half a soccer field away. His jaws clenched to expose his jowls. He barked repeatedly. This was a side of Dax Penny had never seen before.

Without warning a huge shadow stood up and loomed over her. She froze. The beast appeared twice as big as her dad. Penny turned to run but tripped and landed on the ground. She flipped over and saw an enormous beast coming towards her. Penny screamed.

The giant beast sprinted over her and disappeared down the path. Next, she saw Dax heading straight at her. She threw her arms up to block her face.

She cried out, It’s me, Dax. It’s Penny.

Dax leapt into the air, soared over her, and ran off chasing the large shadow.

That dog is crazy. Penny stood up. She picked up her flashlight and scanned through the woods again, trying to see where both animals went.

* * *

As the sun dipped down along the treetops, the sky grew darker. Connor knew they were running out of natural light. Without warning, Connor heard Penny shriek. His heart thumped as he sprinted along the wooded trail and headed towards the area where the glow from her flashlight flickered.

Penny. I heard you scream. What happened? Connor asked as he approached her.

I saw Dax, Penny said as she brushed the dirt off her jeans.

Where? Connor spun around and pointed his flashlight into the wooded area all around them. He whistled. Dax. Here, boy.

"He’s gone