Operation Sasquatch

By Kjell Halverson

Willow sees a sasquatch while hiking with her parents in Mount Rainier National Park. This sets off a series of events, which lead her and her friends to face the sasquatch and his real motives. While planning their operation to encounter the sasquatch, Willow must also face a bullying gang. Her attraction and growing love for the gang leader leads to serious trouble with another member of the gang, who also loves him. Follow along with Willow and her friends on the operation of a lifetime!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Dec 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781645750765

Kjell Halverson

Kjell Halverson is the father of two daughters and has one granddaughter whom he’s very proud of. He has created four board games and written four novels. He has worked as a salesman, a painter, and is an ordained minister. He has been the pastor of two churches and currently works as an evangelist. He enjoys playing the guitar and is also an amateur numismatist.

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Chapter One

Willow peered out from the car window as they neared her new school. She saw the large green sport field with stu­dents already in their uniforms. They turned down the drive between a park and the school. The large, dark gray, brick school building came into full view. The White River could be seen rapidly flowing its course, a short way beyond the parking lot. Everything was so green here in Washington. Large pine trees standing tall seemed to be everywhere she looked. Many varieties of leaf trees, bushes, and fields of emerald green grass peppered the landscape.

Her stomach fluttered with nervous anticipation as the car pulled up to the school’s front entrance. Her father had recently taken a new job in the aero-space industry, with the Boeing Company. This was a tremendous advancement in his career, so they moved to the Pacific Northwest from Ok­lahoma. The move was hard on Willow, leaving all she knew behind, as well as all of her friends.

She was in the Pacific Northwest now, in the little town of Auburn. This was her new home, and her new school and everything was moving so fast in her life. Two months ago, she had first learned of her moving to the wilds of the north, and now she was here. She reflected back on other kids who had moved to her school in the past. She had told them to, Get over it! Now she could understand how they really felt, and she regretted her tough words to them.

Have a great day sweetie, said her mother. Relax, en­joy yourself and make lots of new friends. I’ll pick you up right after school.

Bye, Mom, said Willow as she got out of the car.

Bye sweetie, I love you, said her mother.

I love you too, Mom, she said. Her mother pulled the car away from the curb, and Willow felt all alone.

She made her way into the school building, where they were expecting her to check in at the office. She could not help but notice that many heads turned to stare at her. She fully understood why, being new here! It still made her nervous, while an uncomfortable feeling stole over her. I am the new one here, she thought, as she walked into the office.

May I help you, young lady, said a gray-haired woman with a wide smile.

My name is Willow, I am new here, aah, Dorothy, she answered, reading the woman’s name from the plate pinned to her blouse.

Welcome to Riverside Senior High, Willow, said Dor­othy, still smiling. The counselor, Mrs. Reynolds, is ex­pecting you. Please have a seat, while I let her know you are here.

She removed her backpack and sat down, staring at the floor. A pair of black sneakers entered her field of vision, and stopped right in front of her.

Hi there, said a smooth, and rather firm voice. I’m Riggs, what is your name?

Hi, I’m Willow, she said, looking up into the face of a rugged, yet somewhat handsome, sandy-blond haired boy, with a slightly crooked smile. This is my first day here, she added. She noticed, his piercing blue eyes. She guessed this boy was a bit older than her, maybe a junior.

Welcome to Riverside, he said, still smiling at her. Where have you come from? he asked.

Oklahoma, she answered, smiling up at this bold young man before her.

Willow, you’re okay, he smiled, rather crookedly. I don’t need any more of these, he added, holding up a pink slip. Maybe we can talk later, I’d better hurry to class. He stared for a moment longer, then turned, and left the office.

She almost said something else, but held back, feeling something amiss within herself. She could not tell what it was, but this boy seemed to rub her in a funny way. She couldn’t tell if this was good or bad, she had mixed feelings about this boy, Riggs.

Thirty minutes later, Willow found herself waiting in the library, for her next class. All the admission forms and the counselor’s pep talk had eaten up time. Since her first scheduled class was more than half over, she was instructed to wait in the library, and then attend all the scheduled clas­ses thereafter. The library was quiet, too quiet for her liking. She watched the librarian silently reading at her desk, while a few students were working at the tables with various books open, and pencils scratching.

Willow reflected upon her life, in the silence of the li­brary. Pencils scratching on paper, and an occasional page turning, seemed to be the story of her life. She had many full pages to reflect upon, and she considered all the unwrit­ten pages to come here at Riverside High, in this small town of Auburn. She dreamed of a rich full story, of good times, friends, and romance. Since she knew nobody at this school, she thought about Riggs. He was the first person here to speak to her, besides the staff. She tried to understand what bothered her about him but couldn’t figure it out.

She was still puzzling over this, daydreaming in her own little world, and reading her class schedule, when the bell rang. Books closed, and zippers of backpacks seemed to echo in the silence of the library, as she stood, and left the room. She left her thoughts, and daydreams behind. As she stepped through the doorway, the atmosphere changed com­pletely. The halls were filling with bustling students, roam­ing this way, and that. Having familiarized herself with the layout of the school, by studying the map given to her by the counselor, she moved along with the flow of students.

She saw Riggs, talking with two other girls in the hall­way. She silently passed by, avoiding him by crowding be­hind other students, and looking the other way. She success­fully avoided another encounter with Riggs for now and continued to her scheduled class. Having found her class­room, she sat in the back corner near a window. Willow looked outside, still thinking of Riggs. He was handsome enough, and seemed sure of himself, but something still made her a bit uneasy inside.

Hi, I’m Jennifer, came a voice from beside her.

Willow turned her gaze from the window to the speaker and saw a girl about her own age. Her skin was golden brown, with a smooth complexion. Long, black hair, parted in the middle, hung down over her narrow shoulders, and onto a multicolored shirt of paisley design. She had dark brown eyes, with aqua colored eye shadow covering her slightly heavy, hung eyelids. She looked at Willow with a smile, showing very white teeth.

Hi, I’m Willow, she replied, also smiling back.

Are you new here? asked Jennifer.

First day, and first class, Willow replied.

The best way to fly, giggled Jennifer. First class, I mean, she paused, I’ve been here, a few months. Are you from here? I mean, from Washington?

No, I’ve only been in Washington, for a few days. I moved here, from Oklahoma, Willow replied.

I’m from Ohio, my parents, both work at Microsoft, said Jennifer.

My dad works at Boeing, he is in computers there, said Willow.

The class bell rang, and both girls fell silent, with their full attention upon the teacher. A few minutes later, Jennifer passed a small note to Willow, which said, It’s nice to meet you, will you have lunch with me?

Willow looked at her smiling, and nodded her head, Yes, she mouthed silently.

Chapter Two

The two girls met, and ate lunch together, then walked down by the river to sit, and talk. They hit it off immediately, and became good friends. Jennifer helped Willow, become ac­quainted with the school, and the little town of Auburn, as they talked, and laughed. When their lunch break was about over, Willow felt that there was some hope for her in the Pacific Northwest.

While walking back towards the school, Willow saw Riggs, with a small group of other students. He was with the same two girls she had seen him with in the hall, along with another girl, and two other boys. When Riggs saw her with Jennifer, he made a beeline to intercept them, before they reached the school. Jennifer rolled her eyes, and whispered, Oh no!

Hi Willow, said Riggs, stepping up to her, and com­pletely ignoring Jennifer. How’s your first day here, at Riv­erside? he asked, stepping between her, and the school.

So far, so good, she answered.

I see you have met Jennifer, here, he said, nodding quickly toward Jennifer, yet keeping his eyes fully upon Willow. You should meet, some of my friends, he added, by nodding in their direction. Maybe you will have lunch with me, on Monday? He stared intently at Willow, expect­ing her to say yes.

Something inside her was very uneasy, and she knew this wasn’t a good idea, not yet anyways. Taking hold of Jennifer’s arm, she said, I am sorry, but I am having lunch with my friend Jennifer, on Monday. Lunchtime is over, and we need to hurry to class, excuse me, she concluded. With her hand firmly holding Jennifer’s arm, she side-stepped Riggs, pulling Jennifer along with her, towards the school building.

Riggs just stood there with his mouth agape, then he smiled, and rubbed his chin, watching her and Jennifer walking back to school.

Just before they entered the building Jennifer looked back, making sure they were alone. Watch out for that Riggs, and his bullying friends, they are trouble, she said quietly. My mom is picking me up early today, for an eye exam, she sighed. I’ll see you on Monday, and we’ll have that lunch you mentioned. We’d better hurry, or we will be late for class, she began to walk off, then turned back say­ing, it was so nice to meet you, Willow, I just know we will be good friends.

I know, we will too, said Willow, see you, Monday, she added, while turning to seek out her next scheduled class. She was very happy to have met such a nice person as Jennifer. She also thought of Riggs and began to under­stand why he made her feel so uncomfortable, he was a bully. Willow always had a good intuition, and she knew she felt something unsettling about this boy. She also knew that Riggs liked her, and this may bring, some future trouble, she thought. Something still brushed her insides about him, which she couldn’t place.

She finished her last two classes and met lots of new people. She already liked this school! She felt a hope for this town, and her new school, which she did not have six hours ago. Maybe her crisis of moving, and leaving all she knew behind, would work out for her after all. Her first day’s highlight was having met Jennifer, and she instinc­tively knew they would be best friends.

When the last bell rang, and Willow made it outside to the parking lot, she found her mother waiting to pick her up. How was your first day, sweetie? her mother asked, as Willow slipped into the front seat, after stowing her back­pack in the back.

Better than I expected, she answered her mother, with a smile.

By the time they got home, Willow was exhausted by all of her mother’s questioning. She had to re-live her whole day for her mother. She knew her mother only cared about her, and wanted to know all about her day, so she endured this for her mother’s sake.

Tomorrow is Saturday, and I just talked with your fa­ther. We are planning an all-day hike, up near Mount Rainier, said her mother. It will be fun, she added.

Willow perked up, instantly. She had seen Mount Rainier hundreds of times, since they came to Auburn, five days ago. Everywhere they went, the mountain could be seen looming above everything else in the distance. Its ap­pearance changed from every angle that one saw, yet it was always the same. Willow dreamed of seeing this great mountain up close, and she loved to hike too.

That’s a great idea, Mom, said Willow, I want to hike to the top, she added jokingly. She knew it was much too big, for that. To scale a mountain of that size, was for sea­soned mountain climbers only, and not for simple hikers like herself. She still dreamed of the view she would have, from the top of the mountain. So, where are we hiking to? she asked.

Right to the base of the mountain, her mother said. I talked with Dad, just a little while ago. A friend from work, told him of a nice all-day hike that is not too far away. The hike will take us to one of the glaciers, on this side of the mountain. It is a long hike, so we will be leaving early in the morning.

Okay Mom, that sounds great, Willow agreed.

Willows prospects in this new place were all of a sudden looking up. She had made it through the first day at her new school, which went very well for her. She had made a new best friend named Jennifer, and now, she would hike to the base of that great mountain. The gloom that she had felt since coming here, seemed to be lifting away. She knew everything, would be alright.

Chapter Three

The first gray light of dawn, began to illuminate the morn­ing sky. The crisp air was locked out of the car, with the windows tightly closed. The Adam’s family, George, Mela­nie, and Willow had been on the road for nearly an hour. Washington is a beautiful place thought Willow, as she watched the dawn awaken outside the car’s window. The many trees and the undergrowth of plants, and bushes, all made the forest seem impenetrable, as the car meandered its way towards the mountain.

They had passed through the small mining town of Wilkeson, about ten minutes back. It had a real spooky look­ing cemetery. There was a strip of buildings, and a board­walk all along the left side of the road. To the right were a few newer brick buildings, yet still old from Willow’s per­spective. This town disappeared in a blink and now they came to a bridge. The signs at the side warned for only one car to move upon the bridge at a time. The gorge that the bridge spanned was very deep, and they pulled off the road near the bridge. They walked back upon the bridge to look down.

The chill morning air was damp with moisture, as they walked out onto the bridge. A light wispy fog hung in the air, and upon the sides of the deep gorge. Willow’s stomach lurched, as she stepped to the guardrail to look down. This ravine was so deep and narrow that she could see the treetops tapering down on each side of the gorge, far below from where she stood. The Carbon River cut through the base of this gorge and flowed around and over rocks of all sizes. The river looked like a mere stream, from this high up.

She held onto the railing tightly as she gazed