Thanks for reading The Five Fliers Part 1 and continuing on with the series! How did puzzle #1 go? I know you, my readers, are super smart and crafty with puzzles—but if you'd like to check your answers, the link is at the bottom of the page. And then, let's keep the fun going with Part 2!
Part 2: Never Mind
“Stop!” Aiden grabbed his blue notebook and pulled it away from Dark Green. “These aren’t your papers, they’re mine!”
He couldn’t believe the week he’d had!
When the five dragon-like flying creatures burst out of his backpack he’d thought they might be friendly like his neighbor’s dog. Or at least uncaring like the secret pet frog he’d kept for a while, Froggy-skins.
But the Five Fliers—what else could he call them!—went after every book, loose paper, magazine, take-out menu...everything.
Whenever he tried to show his parents they hid, only to swoop out again when he was alone.
His Grams was the most hurt. They’d gotten into her photo albums and a scrapbook.
They never listened to him! “Purple...come on now, I wouldn’t lie to you guys. These are my papers.”
At least Purple and Orange seemed to halfway calm down when he called to them. Pink had been awful until he’d realized the color reminded him of a rose...now Rose (not Pink) was the best of the bunch.
Light Green and Dark Green were complete monsters!
“Rose! You’re on my side,” Aiden said and the graceful white head swooped closer and blinked. A flowery odor made Aiden’s nose wrinkle, but the smell caused Orange and Purple to stop shuffling and even the Greens seemed calmer.
“Look,” Aiden said, “We’re back at Mrs. Jenkins. You’re home. You can...go,” he tried but the Five Fliers only stared.
Luckily, Tracy was still inside and no other kids had shown up. His plan that the Five Fliers would instantly fly away was ruined.
They wouldn’t leave!
He could not go through another week like the last!
Hiding them in his backpack. Keeping them in his room only to find it completely destroyed when he got back…and the messes when they escaped into the house!
His parents thought he was acting out.
“Why won’t you leave?”
Orange zoomed through the air. Purple and Rose bounced up and down the empty garden bed.
The Greens...well, the Greens flew as close to the ground as they could, tearing up dead flower bushes.
“What now?” Aiden was at his wit’s end. Maybe if he inched away...they wouldn’t notice him leave.
He took a step back.
“Aiden!” Tracy’s chirp had him spinning on his heel. Brown eyes bright and long brown spiral-curls clipped up, Tracy grinned.
“Do you see,” he started but when he looked back the Five Fliers were mysteriously gone...maybe behind the rock wall?
All Aiden knew was that he was utterly alone in this.
“Aiden!” Tracy gushed. She’d finally gotten to come outside. And she had so much to tell him!
She’d cracked the puzzle! The word jumbles were: Sunshine, Emerald, Sweet Grass, Orange Juice, Blue Ocean, Rose, and Purple Majesty.
Except she had no idea how to tell which five were true and which two were false. But Aiden would! After all, it was his paper...er, parchment.
“Do you see?” Aiden started, looking at a dead patch of garden by a red and gray brick wall that came up to their shoulders.
It looked like he had been digging up dead plants.
“See what?” she asked and he turned back with an irritated look. She didn’t want to irritate him! They’d had fun last week...what had she done? “Everything okay?”
Her arms tightened around her paper of the first puzzle, the parchment, and the notes on the surprising thing that had happened that morning.
“Never mind,” Aiden said with a resigned sigh.
“Sorry,” she said and then wasn’t sure what she was apologizing for. “I found—”
“Wait! Do you hear buzzing?”
The garden was still, the wind barely blowing. Brown and pale colors of early spring everywhere she turned. But then she saw movement. It was—
“Wasps!” She jumped away.
Wasps were the worst! They sounded scary, looked scary, bit, and stung people! They even ate other insects. Bees, she didn’t mind. But wasps were an entirely different matter.
Aiden must have felt the same because he jumped and spun around, completely flustered.
“I think they’re gone,” she said.
“There! Do you see? Orange!” Aiden pointed.
Empty sky. No clouds. In fact, the whole week had been full of bright blue skies. And certainly no rain. So much for good luck raining down.
“Never mind,” Aiden said again, shaking his head and shuffling away. “...Purple…”
Tracy frowned. He kept saying “Never mind” but he wasn’t acting like it. Sure, it had been a while since they’d been able to hang out, but she thought last week they’d gotten along great.
The papers crinkled in her arms. She still had to give him the parchment! “Wait! Aiden!”
“….Greens...”
“Oh! Like emeralds and sweet grass,” Tracy said excitedly.
Aiden turned back. “What?”
“You said greens. Those are green things that I found—”
“There are lots of green things,” Aiden said with a surly sneer. “I’ll see you next week,” he sighed. “...Rose...”
Tracy watched in disbelief as Aiden jogged away.
What had she done?
“Wait, I have your parchment,” she said lamely but he wasn't close enough to hear. “I’ll keep it safe,” she continued to herself. “And I’ll solve the next puzzle too...”
Because that morning, when she’d gathered the parchment, it had done its weird thing again—turning blank and then filling with words. New words! A new puzzle! This time it was filled the front and back.
She didn’t know what she’d done to make Aiden irritated but she could still help. And next week she wouldn’t let him get away. She’d shout in his face if she had to.
—although she hoped it didn’t come to that. The idea of shouting in anyone’s face gave her the shivers.
Next week, though, she’d get answers.
To be continued...
Play along! Solve the puzzle!
Click below for a printable PDF:
(Answer Key Posted in Part 3)
Page 1:
Page 2:
Enjoyed Part 2?
I'd love to hear from you!
Disclaimer: These are just my thoughts and opinions to be taken in a non-professional manner. All worksheets on my site are free to use. All content/stories belong to me and need permission if used in any way other than personal use. Thanks!
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places or businesses, and incidents or events, are a product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, alive or dead, places or businesses, events or incidents, is purely coincidental. The author does not have any control and does not assume responsibility for other websites and their content.
© 2021 E.J. Nowicki All Rights Reserved. This short story may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the author, E.J. Nowicki, with the exception of brief quotes used in any comments or reviews. You can send a permissions request on my CONTACT page.
Questions? Contact me by clicking HERE.
Σχόλια