Forest Guardians Chronicles: A Matter of Humanity Beth Roose (good books for high schoolers TXT) 📖

them to follow us, since it will disseminate the clouds. Then, they will be easily visible to us.”

Bev nodded up and down in agreement, “Then Bitty and her mom can start running from the Grissom Farm along the banks of the Cuyahoga River making whooping sounds so that the Hornet Queen and her drones will chase them. They will lead them right into the ambush! We can also have Freda, the Great Blue Heron, fly ahead and let Cleg and the rest of the Hairy Man Tribe know what the new plan is so that they will be prepared.”

Bev and the Pukwudgie tribesmen firmly believed that the new plan would work. Bev had to move quickly in order to get to her house and tell Bitty and Ja’aal about the new plan. She also needed to grab a lighter, so she could start the fire to the corn circles.

As she moved quickly through the standing green stalks of corn again, she got cuts all over her face and could feel the blood running down the sides of her cheeks. She said to herself, “I must keep going. I must reach the porch.” At that moment, she reached the edge of the cornfield and could see the front porch of her house, but she did not see the garden hose lying across her path, and she tripped and clashed abruptly with the ground, slamming her left knee into the earth. She heard a “pop,” and as she sat up to look at her leg, she could see a thick, white bone penetrating through her pants. She felt the warm, gushiness of her blood dripping down her leg and became very queasy.

Bitty and her mom witnessed Bev fall, and they immediately ran over to help her. Ja’al scooped Bev up in her arms and sprinted to the porch. Bitty steadied the swing on the porch so her mom could lay Bev in it. Through her tears, Bev managed to steady her voice and tell Bitty and her mom about the new plan, but neither Bitty nor her mother understood what Bev was saying to them. Bev observed their arm gestures and knew that they had understood a majority of what she was trying to convey to them. She handed Bitty’s mom the lighter and showed her how to use it, and they both nodded their heads to show that they understood what to do.

Bev, Bitty, and Ja’al all shifted their focus to the tree line in front of the Cuyahoga River on the other side of the barn. There was a faint humming sound in the air, and they all knew what that meant. The Hornet Queen and her drones were close.

Before Bev could say anything, Bitty ran for the barn and hid behind the rain barrel, and Ja’al ran into the cornfield with the lighter. Bev could no longer see either of them. All she could do was lay helplessly in the swing and worry for her dear friends. She could not see Freda anymore either, as she was probably staying out of sight so that the Hornet Queen would not catch sight of her, but Bev knew the heron was close by.

The humming grew louder and louder as each moment passed. Bev kept her eyes focused on the roof of the barn and watched for the Hornet Queen and her drones. She said a prayer for the safety of her friends and the success of the plan.

5

The Destruction

Bev gasped as she caught her first glance at the Hornet Queen and her minion drones as they crested over the barn roof. The queen was much bigger and evil-looking than Bev could have ever imagined. A great fear came over her as she watched the Hornet Queen and her drones drop beneath the fog. The humming was loud, and she could smell smoke and see the bright orange flames through the dense clouds. She knew Ja’al had been successful in starting the fire.

She saw the Pukwudgie men, who had shape-shifted into honey bee queens, buzzing around in the cornfield circles awaiting the Hornet Queen and her drones arrival.

Finally, the Hornet Queen and her posse caught sight of the honey bee queens in the cornfield and started to fly down toward them, humming loudly as they enclosed their prey. The humming and buzzing was thunderous in Bev’s ears, and at one point, she could feel the noise in her head.

The Hornet Queen and her groupies went through the fog, and Bitty ran out of the barn, letting out several loud and shaky whoops! while waving her arms wildly in order to get the Hornet Queen’s attention. Bitty could see her mom running toward her through the cornfield, vocalizing the loudest roar she had ever heard. The Hornet Queen caught a glimpse of the scene in front of her and headed their way, following them closely.

Suddenly, the Hornet Queen saw Bev on the swing and her dark, evil eyes focused closely on a very helpless and immobile Bev. The queen lost all care for the Pukwudgie honey bee queen shape-shifters, as well as to Bitty and her mother. Bev knew that she was in trouble as she watched the Hornet Queen signal her drones to follow her and attack. If Bev was going to survive this ambush, she would need help.

Hiding in the tall grass by the Everett Covered Bridge, Bitty’s mom spoke feverishly in their gibberish language, “Bitty, you must run as fast as you can and go get Cleg and the rest of the tribe! Tell them we need help!”

Bitty took off sprinting and ran as fast as she had ever run in her life. Her mom cried out to her, “Remember to only use infrasound whoops, Bitty!”

Bev, catching sight of the sprinting furry child, yelled out, “Do not look back! Run, Bitty, RUN!”

Bev watched in horror as the Hornet Queen and her drones dove down from just above the barn and toward her on the porch. She looked around the