'Tis finished!

A couple of you knew that Grace (my nine year old sister) has been writing a story. She finished it tonight! She is very proud of herself and happy. So am I. I helped a little, I was her official "editor" which means I corrected grammar and spelling, etc. In one or two places she accepted an idea of mine. Mostly I just got her to add some description. She did pretty much all the work herself, with few spelling mistakes and pretty good grammar for a kid not yet ten. And the names! I go nuts over "Henry Ashcastle". It's even better then "Fitzwilliam Darcy". *shock* But seriously! "Henry Ashcastle"! Official Best Fictional Character's Name EVER.

I think she is well on her way to becoming a famous writer, Nobel Prize-winning naturalist, and champion barrel racer. Here is the story.

The Demon Scarab

Professor Henry Ashcastle was a young entomologist. He was working in the lab when his friend, Prof. Ralph Shrift, walked in with a package which contained some new species, including a nine-inch scarab from Mongolia. After many weeks of studying the giant insect they finally named it Magnae scarabaeidae (great scarab). As soon as they had all the information they needed, Prof. Shrift went to mail it to the museum. He was going out the back door of the laboratory when the box started to vibrate. He saw black wings covered with emerald shining thorns. Suddenly, there was a blood curdling shriek. Upon hearing this horrific sound, Henry rushed outside to find that the box was empty and that Professor Shrift had vanished. He put on his coat and brought out his horse. He rode down the dirt road and into the streets, frantically asking people if they had seen a giant beetle with a man about thirty. But just as you might think, they all thought he was crazy. He rode up to a barn and sat down on a hay bale. After a few minutes he heard yelling from inside the barn. He took out his pocket knife and rushed inside. To his surprise he saw Professor Shrift lying on the ground. There was blood on the top part of his left sleeve and his face was pale.
"Ralph, thank goodness you're all right! What happened?" said Henry. " I am not really sure" said Ralph.

Henry helped his friend out of the barn. He looked down the road and saw a cab driving up. As it was driving past the barn, Henry signaled the driver to stop. He payed the man and helped Ralph inside. Ralph sat down and told the driver to take him to the York Motel and Suites. Henry said that he would take his horse. Noticing the blood on Ralph's shirt the driver asked, "Is everything all right sir?" Afraid he might think them crazy, Ralph skipped the story and just said, "Yes, thank you." After he got there Ralph got up, stepped out, thanked the driver and went to the stable where he met Henry tying up his horse. They went inside the building up to Henry's room. They sat down on the sofa and were silent for many minutes. Then finally Ralph spoke up. "Maybe I should change my clothes." Henry walked up to his dresser and pulled out a white shirt with a grey checkered vest. "Here, take these. While you get dressed, I am going to go down stairs to get a cup of coffee," he said. When Henry was back up stairs Ralph had changed and was sitting on the sofa. Henry sat down in a rocking chair in a corner in the room. "Do you have any idea what happened?" asked Henry.

"Well, I was on my way to the mail box when the box that held the beetle almost seemed to be moving. And then I saw what looked liked a cross between a flying lizard and dragonfly and it had sharp fangs. Then I found myself in a dark room and I kept hearing these awful sounds. Something sharp hit me on the arm. And then I saw you standing in the doorway of an old barn." said Professor Shrift.
"The beetle could not have possibly been that demon you say you saw," said Ashcastle.
"Let's just take our minds off the subject for awhile," said Ralph. But Henry could not just take his mind off the subject. "Meet me here tomorrow morning at seven. We are going to look for the insect. I just hope that it does not do anything before then," he said. Ralph cleaned up his arm and left. Henry changed into his nightclothes and laid down on the bed. He could think about nothing but the scarab and if it really was this awful creature his friend was talking about. But eventually he went to sleep.

He and Ralph were walking through a field. All the grass was dead and the sky seemed grey. Then they herd something that sounded like the sound a fork makes when scraped across a plate. They paused. Then suddenly a demon with wings and white froth around its mouth was on top of Henry, snarling and showing its vile teeth. "Ralph!" he screamed. "Ralph!" He woke up, and rubbed his eyes, desperately trying to reassure himself that it was all just a dream. Then he looked at the clock. It said 6:33.
"Well, I had best be getting ready," he said, sitting up in bed. He got out of bed, changed his clothes, picked up his coat and went downstairs where he met Ralph Shrift, who was standing outside. It was cloudy and chilly. In the distance Henry could see the fog like a grey sheet over the English countryside. "Perhaps we should take along a revolver or a knife. I always do when I go down there," said Henry.
"Go down where?" asked Ralph.
"Why, to the pine woods at the bottom of the hill of course!" answered Henry, as if it were obvious.
"I am not going into those woods," said Ralph.
"Why not? What better place for a demon to hide than a dark wood!" said Henry excitedly. "Exactly!" said Ralph.
"Please Ralph," asked Henry.
"Has it attacked you yet?" said Ralph angrily. "Well no, but what do you think would happen if I went alone and it did?" said Henry. "It would be your own fault," answered Ralph.
"Well that is why I am bringing my pocket knife. Do you have a gun of any kind?" asked Henry.
"Yes, I believe I have some pistols in a chest in the attic," replied Ralph. "Let us go get them," said Henry.

Before they knew it they were riding down the hill with pistols at their sides. as they were nearing the woods the two horses suddenly reared, throwing the men to the ground. Henry looked up; The Demon was approaching at a low glide. Henry leapt to his feet. He picked up his pistol that had fallen out of his holster when he fell off his horse. Staring straight at the beast, he fired. It hit the beast in its side. The creature weakened but did not stop. It was within twenty-five feet of him when Henry fired again. This time he hit it in the chest. It took a few more steps, then collapsed, dead. Ralph stood up. "Henry, you're the bravest man I ever met," said Ralph. After taking The Demon back to the laboratory they compared the beast's blood with the beetle's in every way, many times. It matched. "Its impossible!" exclaimed Ralph. "But it's true," said Henry. "Now let's get back to work." So they did, as if nothing had happened.

The End