Aliens, Critters, and Dinosaurs

Down A Waterless Well

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Down a Bottomless Well

Have you ever peered down into a bottomless well? I did once, and only once.

The well I’m speaking of is in Kansas. Don’t laugh. It’s true! The deepest well in the world does happen to be in Kansas. They measured it, but the results were really a trick because that well is deeper than the miles they spoke of. That well, you see, has no bottom. It only has another side.

My brother dared me to look down into it. He took off laughing when I climbed the ladder to the top. I figured that since I’d climbed so high just to look down inside, I might as well peek. So I did.

One look is all it takes if Chebuck decides he wants you. He pulled me in, down into that well. I fell for years and days and hours, and then I came out on the other side. Chebuck laughed when he saw me, just like my brother. Then Chebuck pulled my braid, and he ran away, calling back, “Catch me, if you can.”

I chased Chebuck all around his planet. We ran over the mountains and through the forests and deserts. Then I swam across a sea, warm as bathwater, and finally I caught him.

Chebuck only laughed worse, and then he squeezed out of my grasp and dived down into the depths.

“You can’t get me!” his voice bubbled up to me.

“Yes, I can!” I yelled after him, and I dived deep.

The seaweed was lavender, and it wavered in the breezes beneath that warm sea, but I swam amidst it, hunting for Chebuck as I inspected behind every frond. Purple fish darted in and out, tickling my toes. A small mermaid passed by and handed me a drink and cookie. I nibbled and drank as I sought Chebuck, diving down, down, down.

In the depths of that sea, a volcano was erupting. Its tremors quaked the water. I was thrown back against a sea turtle who’d been munching his lunch. I apologized to him profusely, but he waved his claw and invited me to ride. With his help, I finally found Chebuck.

Chebuck had grown tired of tag. He invited us to go roller skating. Sadly, my friend, the turtle, had to go home. He had chores to do for his mother. Chebuck and I swam back to shore.

Roller skating on Chebuck’s planet was done with bowling balls. They were rather large to pick up, but once we put them on, they rolled us up and down trees. We skated across oaks, elms, and redwoods and ended up in an apple orchard. Chebuck offered to let me eat some of the apples, but they tasted like black licorice, so I stopped crunching after I’d eaten four.

I heard my mother calling then, and I told Chebuck I had to go home. He cried when I left and looked lonely.

We’re driving home to Wichita in the morning. Our vacation is all over. I sure hope someone else takes a peek down that bottomless well! Chebuck is waiting.





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~