Horace the Bear (sample)

So this is an extreme rough draft of my idea for a children's book which I thought I'd share. This is actually the first time that I have ever blogged a story concept so hopefully it is to everyone's liking. Keep in mind that this is really difficult for me to write, I am the author of Swift Killas and not being able to blow something up or shoot down a bad guy was, to say the least, challenging.  

     Angel Rodgers is a young boy who lives in a big city. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers have important jobs that require them to move a lot and so making friends has always been difficult for Angel and sleeping in new bedrooms sometimes frightening. One special day Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers took Angel to a toy store.

     “Today you can pick out one new toy.” Said Mr. Rodgers.

     “Because today is your birthday,” Mrs. Rodgers said. With a smile from ear to ear, Angel ran through the aisles looking at all the different kinds of toys he might want. First he looked at the action figures but all of them were too stiff or too complex. Angel ran into the next aisle and found boxes of building blocks. But the building blocks took too long to build and he knew he would get bored before he could even begin to play.

     Angel ran into the next aisle and saw foam swords and plastic shields like the ones knights wore in the books his mother and father would read to him before bedtime.  Then Angel had an idea. If he had a suit of armor like King Arthur then maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t be afraid of the dark after his parents left. Angel quickly grabbed a foam sword and a plastic shield and was about to run back to his parents when he saw the store manager walking toward him with s stuffed bear in his hand.

     “Hello, Young man.” Said the manager just as Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers found their son.

     “Sorry,” Mr. Rodgers said to the store manager. “Our son is a bit excited to be in your store today.”

     “Is that so?” The Manager said.

     “Yes, today is our little Angel’s birthday.” Said Mrs. Rodgers. Angel could not stop looking at the stuffed bear in the store manager’s hand. He looked old and dusty with short brown hair and large black eyes.

“Well it looks to me like you want to be a knight.” The Store Manager said. Angel nodded his head and smiled.

     “Yes, yes Sir.” Said Angel. The manager knelt down on one knee before Angel and presented him with the teddy bear.

     “Every knight needs a best friend and companion.” Said the Manager placed the teddy bear in Angel’s hands. “His name is Horace and he’s the only one of his kind.”

Angel gave Horace a hug.

     “Thank you.” Angel said.

     “Yes, thank you very much.” Said Mr. Rodgers to the Store Manager.

     “Come along, Angel. We still have much to do on your special day.” Said Mrs. Rodgers.

     That night, after cake and presents, Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers read Angel a bedtime story about King Arthur and his noble knights. Mrs. Rodgers turned on the nightlight next to Angel’s bed before giving him a good night kiss.

     “Sleep tight little man,” said Mr. Rodgers as he tucked Angel and Horace into bed. As Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers left, closing the door behind them Angel reached under his bed and pulled out his sword and shield.

     “Nothing is going to get us tonight, Horace.” Angel said closing his eyes.

Later that night a rumbling in the room woke Angel.

     “Nope, not here.” Came the soft voice of someone near Angel’s dresser.

     “Oh no, not again,” Angel whimpered while throwing the covers over his head. “Please, please go away.” He cried.

     “Don’t worry.” Horace whispered. Angel turned and screamed until Horace covered his mouth.

     “If you scream it will know we’re awake.” Horace explained. “Now stay here, I need to get something from under the bed.” Horace let go of Angel and slid out from under the covers and dropped onto the floor. Rolling under the bed he searched while the creature making the noise near the drawer continued to search for something particular.

     “EUREKA!” Horace shouted while jumping out from under the bed. Angel pulled back the covers and saw Horace standing next to the bed with his own sword and shield in hand. Angel looked at his dresser and saw a Gnome with a tall red hat looking back at him. In the Gnome’s hand, one of Angel’s socks.

     “That’s his sock, Gnome!” Shouted Horace.

     “Nope, I found it. It’s mine now!” The Gnome said running like the wind around Angel’s room. Horace jumped on the dresser and the bed, on the floor and the toy chest but the Gnome was too fast.

     “Stop him Horace, stop him!” Angel shouted. Horace threw his shield which bounced off the closet door, the dresser and the toy chest before knocking the Gnome on the floor. Horace leapt atop the Gnome and grabbed Angel’s sock.

     “You shouldn't take things that don’t belong to you.” Said Horace.

     “The sock is mine!” Cried the Gnome. “Mine, mine, mine, mine.” The Gnome tried to wrestle the sock away from Horace but neither of them was willing to let it go.

     “Wait!” shouted Angel. “Mr. Gnome, why are you trying to take my sock?” Asked Angel.

     “The king of Gnomes sent me to take socks.” Said the Gnome.

     “But you’re taking a sock and not the pair.” Said Angel. “Why only take one?”

     “Because we only need one at a time.” Said the Gnome. Horace shook his head.

     “Gnomes. They make no sense.” Huffed Horace.

     “Mr. Gnome, if I give you my sock will you promise not to come back to my room and scare me?” Asked Angel. The gnome looked between Horace and Angel then huffed.

     “Okay.” Sighed the Gnome.

     “Where do you live, Mr. Gnome?” Angel asked.

     “Just outside Apple Tree forest in the deep garden with my other brothers and sisters.” Said the Gnome.

     “You can go home Mr. Gnome.” Said Angel. The Gnome jumped in the air, happy as can be before running past Horace and Angel and sliding under the bed.

     “He ran under my bed.” Said Angel.

     “Yeah, he went home.” Horace said picking up his shield.

     “But how does he get to his home from under my bed?” Asked Angel. Horace stretched and yawned and climbed back into bed.

     “The only way to get to Gnome garden is through Apple Tree forest and the only way to get to Apple Tree forest is through a closet or underneath a bed. Everyone knows that.” Said Horace.

Angel climbed back into bed next to Horace and pondered what Horace had said.

      “What’s it like in Apple Tree forest?” Asked Angel.

     “There are trees as tall as the sky with colorful apples and beautiful butterflies. The smell of honey in every tree and everyone is happy and free.” Smiled Horace.

     “It sounds nice,” said Angel.

     “It is nice.” Said Horace closing his eyes.

     “Do you think that maybe I can see it?” Asked Angel. Horace sat up and jumped off the bed.

     “Horace?” Asked Angel, curious as to what he was doing. Horace reached under the bed and pulled out a white permission slip and handed it to Angel.

     “I’m not allowed to take you anywhere unless your parents give you permission.” Smiled Horace.