Oh, Well

Denise was just leaving the band room when the siren went off. Because she was alone, she didn’t realize that no one else heard it. Looking around, she saw nothing that seemed out of place; she couldn’t identify where the sound came from. She threw her drumsticks into her backpack and headed outside.

There she saw her Aunt Carol looking worried. “You heard the alarm?” she asked Denise.

“Yes, but what does it mean?” Denise threw her backpack over her shoulder.

“A Well has been stolen.”

Denise looked up. “Well what? What well?” she asked.

“Not a well small ‘w,’ a Well with a capital ‘W’,” Aunt Carol explained. “Follow me, Denise.”

“What?” Denise had no idea what a Well with a capital W was.

“You’re needed. I knew this would happen someday,” Aunt Carol said. “I had hoped that when it happened, you’d be older.” Denise had just turned sixteen.

“What are you talking about, Aunt Carol?” Denise, totally confused, climbed into Carol’s Subaru.

“The Wyvern Queen needs you to help find it. It’s your destiny.”

“Wyvern Queen? Like the two-legged dragon with a barbed tail? That kind of wyvern?” Denise was totally lost.

“Yes. She’s responsible for the Wells.”

“Okay, I’ll bite. What are these Wells?”

“Portable, potable water. Water is essential to the multiverse. The Wells provide water to everyone. This missing Well is assigned to Earth. Without it, all life dies. They are tightly controlled because they are so valuable. That’s what the siren was about.”

“Okay,” Denise said. “But what has that to do with me?”

“You are the chosen one. You’ve spent your whole life learning about swords, aliens, and space. You know Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. You’ve been trained. Now’s the time for it to pay off.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Denise asked.

“The Queen will tell you.” Aunt Carol pulled into her garage and rushed into the house, Denise on her heels.

“Here’s the Wyvernian computer. Sit down.”

“The what?” Denise asked as she sat in the desk chair, putting her backpack on her lap. “What do I do now?”

Aunt Carol fired up the computer. A huge eye covered the entire screen. “Hello, Carol. Good to see you. And this must be Denise?”

“Yes, Queenie. She will obviously need guidance, but she’s ready.” Aunt Carol smiled at the eye.

“Wonderful, my dear. Let’s not waste time then.”

Denise’s world disappeared in a swirling fog. She felt sick and exhilarated at the same time. After what seemed like ages, but might have been seconds, the girl found herself sitting at a large table in front of a huge wyvern and a garbage-sized tin can out of which a man sat (she thought), looking intently in her direction.

“Hello, Denise. This is Bob,” the Queen gestured towards the man in the can who reached out and shook Denise’s hand.

“We have no time to waste but we must finish tea before we go.” The Queen handed Denise a china cup full of dark liquid.

“Tea?” she asked. “Not a big fan.”

“It’s okay, Denise. Yours will taste like your favorite drink.”

Sure enough, the drink tasted just like Pepsi. “Yum,” she said.

“All right, team. Time to go. We’ll need to pick up the Terriers on the way.” The Queen leaned towards Denise. “They’re the best warriors in the multiverse.”

The other stood up so Denise followed them. The Queen stood about fifteen feet high. The room was twice that, the walls covered with luxurious rugs and paintings of strange creatures.

A few minutes later, Denise found herself on a long tarmac. The Queen was putting on what looked like an enclosed saddle.

“It’s a Bubble,” Bob told her as his can hovered beside her.

“Uh, thanks, Bob,” Denise said. “Is it polite to ask …”

“It’s not. It’s my whole life but that’s all I can reveal.”

“Ok. Bob, why me?”

“You were born for it, Denise. Sometimes destiny doesn’t show itself for a while, but it’s been watching you. You are strong, brave, and pretty fearless. It’s just your time.”

Bob pointed to footholds that had appeared on the Queen’s flank. “Go ahead, Denise. That’s how you get into the Bubble.”

Denise climbed up as Bob hovered alongside her. At the top, he pushed a button that opened the Bubble. He floated in and settled in what looked like a big cup holder. Denise sat on a wonderfully comfortable overstuffed sofa, putting her backpack into a luggage rack overhead.

“Wow,” she said. “This is very cool. Is all intergalactic travel this comfortable?”

“Not all. But the Queen goes first class.”

The same huge eye appeared on a screen in front of the sofa. The. “Be sure to buckle up,” the Queen instructed. Denise looked for a seat belt. She saw something buried in the cushion.

“Glad someone figured out that seat belts are a good idea,” she said.

“Good for you,” said the belt as it fastened itself around her. “A pain for me.”

“Be quiet!” Bob growled. “These belts are a grouchy lot.”

“Everyone secure?” the Queen asked.

“We’re good, Your Majesty,” Bob answered her.

Denise marveled at the Queen’s speed as she began to run. Effortlessly

, they took to the air.

“That was amazing,” Denise said breathlessly.

“She’s the best transportation I’ve ever been on,” Bob told her. “You might as well take a nap or something. It’s a long way to the Terriers.”

Bob disappeared into his can. Denise found herself tired and groggy. Before she knew it, she was asleep.

She woke when the Queen landed abruptly. The Bubble opened just as Bob emerged from his can. “Time to meet our warrior friends,” he said, gesturing towards the steps on the Queen’s side. Denise made her way down to the ground. Once she had disembarked, the Queen suddenly shrunk to a size closer to her own.

Bob leaned over. “Make Me Small pills. Very useful.”

A creature about half Denise’s size came bounding out of a nearby building, making what sounded like barking noises, its small tail wagging madly.

“Welcome, grrrouff, to our home,” growled the creature, standing up on its hind legs, its face almost eye level with Denise. It had smooth brown and black fur an inch long all over its body as well as a beard and mustache. Denise thought it handsome even though she personally preferred cats.

“Hello, Macduff. Good to see you.” The Queen smiled as she put her hand out and shook Macduff’s paw. They followed him into the Hall.

“They seem awfully carefree and silly for a group of warriors.” Denise pointed to an area full of Terriers jumping up and down for no apparent reason and another group playing tug of war. One chased its tail.

The Queen laughed. “Yes. They do like to play but they can catch a Gopher faster than any other creature in the universe. That’s Gopher with a capital G, Denise. They stole the Well.”

All these capitals, Denise thought. It must be a really big deal. That’s scary.

The Queen walked to a small platform at the far end of the Hall. “Terriers. We need your help. You know me and you know my Pathfinder Royale Bob. This is Denise. She’s the one.” The Queen pointed to Denise and with all the Terriers’ eyes now upon her, she swallowed hard, bowed and smiled awkwardly. An approving growl swept through the room.

“A Well has been stolen from the Vault. We need to find and return it.” The Queen waited until the Terriers finished leaping and howling. “We believe that it has been stolen by a giant Gopher from the planet Broke. You are the best Gopher hunters in the multiverse. We need you to keep them occupied while we recover the Well. Will you join us?”

An exuberant howl went up around the room. “Gopherrrrs! Gopherrrrrrrs!” Coming from the Terriers, the word had a menacing and growly undertone.

“Just one thing,” the Queen continued. “You can’t kill the Gophers until we find the Well.”

The Terriers growled.

“Once we’ve secured it, you may kill or capture any you can.” The Hall went wild.

After meeting with MacDuff and other Terrier leaders to formulate a plan, the Queen took flight once again. Denise lost track of time as they hurtled through space, the Terriers’ Mercedes Bones ships scattered in front and behind them. The Bubble provided everything she needed: food, drink. Internet and a bathroom. This is amazing, she thought more than once.

Finally, she noticed the Queen beginning to descend. Looking out of the Bubble, she could see a planet below. It was quite blue, like Earth appeared from space but even more so. “Bob is that Broke?” she asked. “And why is it so blue?”

“Yes. It’s covered mostly with water. There’s land although it’s tricky to find sometimes. It’s the perfect place to hide a Well.” Bob began to close the top of his can. “Grab your backpack, Denise. We’ll be landing soon.”

“What about air?” she asked.

“No worries.” Bob handed Denise a small face covering. “Once we’ve landed, just put this on for a few minutes. It’ll fall off on its own. It adjusts your body to whatever breathable air is available.”

Denise looked at the mask. “Wow,” was all she could think to say. “This space travel is a whole lot more amazing than in movies and books. And that’s pretty amazing.”

“Don’t forget we’re on a mission,” Bob said.

When they were on the ground, the Queen slid the Bubble off. Terriers had gathered around them with MacDuff at the front. All were armed and covered in chain mail.

“All right, troops. Westies head west. Yorkies go north. Fox terriers – stay on the dry. And the rest of you spread out. When we find the Well, we’ll let you know.” The Terriers disappeared.

“What do I do if I find it?” Denise asked.

“My dear girl, you have more knowledge of space travails than many of us do. You’ll just know.” With that, the Queen took off, leaving Denise and Bob at the landing site.

“Okay, Bob. What now?”

“I’ll stay here and guard the Bubble. You can wait with me,” Bob added.

“That wouldn’t be right. A space adventure where we just wait? No way.” Denise stood up and started off along a trail of grass with water on both sides.

“Come back when you find the Well,” Bob called out as she walked away.

The planet was indeed wet. By following the trail, she was able to find dry areas to move across. It’s a trail. It must lead somewhere.

After a while, she noticed that the hill to her right had grown bushes along its bottom. She pulled them aside and found herself in the mouth of a cave. Moving inside, she was surprised to find incandescent moss lighting a path lined with rocks.

A small rock rolled itself up when Denise approached. “Who goes there?” it asked.

How can I understand that? Denise wondered. “I’m Denise. We’re looking for a Well that’s been stolen. Probably by your Gophers.”

“Ah, yes. We know about that. And definitely not our Gophers,” it said. “I am Wequt. Follow me.”

Denise did as she was told and found herself in a large cavern that was lit by holes in the mountain. Several large rocks sat in a line. They didn’t move as Wequt and Denise arrived. “These are our elders,” Wequt told her.

“You seek the Well?” a zircon asked. “We are the Counsel. What will you do with it if we reveal its location?”

“We’ll return it to the Vault and lock it up safely,” Denise told them. “And increase security so none get stolen again.”

“As you can see, we have no need of a Well. But the Gophers stole it to sell. They hid it in our caves, stepping on many of us as they came and went. How do we know we can trust you?”

Denise thought for a moment. “I have profound respect for the Well. My planet, which we call Earth, is having water problems and may need the Well someday. People fight wars over water. I promise to return and respect it.”

The Council of Elders rolled together to confer. At least that’s what Denise thought they were doing. After what seemed like a geologic time lapse, they rolled back into a line. “We will show you the Well. Wequt and Elder Adnal will go with you.”

“Thank you all.” Denise bowed. She wasn’t sure why; it just seemed appropriate.

The two guides rolled down a hallway in the cave with Denise following closely behind, carefully watching where she stepped. Eventually, they came to an opening. Peeking around the wall, she saw a pulsing blue dot sitting on a boulder surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites. Wequt and Elder Findal stopped. “The Well,” the Elder said.

Denise stared at it. She had never asked what it looked like. “That’s it?” she asked, just to be sure.

Wequt giggled. “That’s it. New to you, is it?”

“Yes.” Denise walked around the boulder. “Uh, how do I carry it?”

Wequt shook his head. “In your pack, Denise. It doesn’t leak.”

“Of course. Sorry. I am new at this. But I should have known.”

At that moment, they heard a deep growl. As Denise looked in again, a huge beast with big teeth and sharp claws appeared at the other end of the opening. That must be one of the Gophers, Denise realized. It was huge, almost eight feet tall. It hovered over the Well protectively.

Denise shrunk back. “How do you kill … or at least disable these things?” The Gopher heard her and turned in their direction. “Crap,” said Denise.

She thought for a moment then took the drumsticks from her backpack, which she left with Elder Adnal and Wequt.

“That is not your Well,” she shouted at the creature. It looked surprised. She wasn’t its usual adversary.

Denise raised the drumsticks over her head and began banging them together. “You. Gopher. Get away from our Well.” She shouted at the top of her lungs. The Gopher hesitated and then moved back a step.

“These are magic sticks from the planet Earth, and you cannot withstand their power.” All of her years watching sci fi were paying off. “Now get away!” She flourished the sticks and started drumming on a nearby boulder as she moved closer to the Well.

The Gopher looked surprised but only for a moment. Then it began moving towards her, growling and gnashing its huge teeth. Denise struck the protective minerals which crashed to the ground. The Gopher stopped.

“Dinna ye know not to bother t’ one, ye wee beastie.” MacDuff appeared at her side.

Before she knew it, he was on the Gopher. She made a run for the Well, grabbed it and ran back, putting it into the backpack as she went.

The guides led her out of the cave and pointed her back towards where the Queen had landed.

When she got there, Bob was gone. She could hear battle sounds and followed them to the top of a hill. Looking down, she saw a slightly familiar gory sight. The Terriers and Gophers had been fighting, that much was clear. She saw Bob, holding a sword and hovering over a huge Gopher. Denise put her fingers to her lips and let out a loud whistle. When Bob looked up, she waved. He threw a chain over the neck of the Gopher and hovered up the hill, dragging the beast behind him.

“Denise, good to see you,” he said. “This is the ringleader. But he won’t tell us where they put the Well.”

“It’s okay, Bob. I found it.” Denise grinned broadly as she pointed to the backpack. “But a Gopher came. MacDuff went after it. I didn’t see him again.”

“He’ll be fine, Denise. He cut his teeth on Gophers, so to speak. She was right, the Queen. You are the one.”

They found the Queen was waiting for them at the landing site along with MacDuff who was unscathed. Denise gave him a hug. “You got it,” the Queen pronounced.

“I guess all my role playing and movie watching paid off. But MacDuff saved the day when the Gopher came. And I admit that being on a quest is a lot different than watching it.”

The Queen put a wing around her shoulder. “It is and it isn’t, child. Clearly you benefitted from all that watching.”

She turned to MacDuff. “We’re taking this one back. Can you fit it on one of your Bones ships? You can let your fighters go after the rest.”

“Surrrrre,” MacDuff assured her. He took the Gopher’s chain and growled. “Don’t even trrrry to get away.”

When the Queen had put the Bubble back on, Denise and Bob settled in for the flight back to the Queen’s home on Wyvernia.

“You have done the multiverse a great service, today, Denise. We won’t forget it.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I won’t either. Won’t I have been missed, though?”

“Time is relative, my dear Denise. But it is time for you to return home. Your Aunt Carol is waiting.”

The world fogged over. Denise found herself in Aunt Carol’s car, leaving her school. “Have a good day?” her aunt asked with a wink.

“Interesting, thanks. Did I just sort of save the universe?”

Aunt Carol grinned. “Sort of, yes. Stay tuned.”