1st 5 Pages Feb Workshop - Fettig

Name: Becky Fettig
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Title: Halo and the Boomerang Effect

When landing inside a Christmas tree, stay away from spiky pine needles. Halo rubbed the backside of her gown. Despite being smaller than a snowflake, she was painfully aware of that lesson.

Halo crossed her fingers and glanced through the white pine. Ornaments as familiar as the fingers on her hands hung on every branch. Nearby, a tin soldier saluted a plump snowman. Above, a reindeer reared on his back legs beside the gingerbread boy with blue icing buttons.

And great, golly, good cheer, the old twelve-point star topped the tree.

“Yes!” Halo punched the air. The pine needle under her boots shifted, tipping her backward. But a quick arm flapping recovered her balance.

Outside the tree, a brick fireplace covered one wall of the ginormous living room. Candles and Santa figurines filled the mantelpiece. And right smack in the middle stood a photo of dear Charles and Eloise Johnson—their wedding picture that had decorated the shelf ever since Halo’s first appearance. She blew a kiss.

For the tenth time Halo was home, zapped back inside the Johnson Christmas tree with the other tiny residents. She held a hand over her heart. “I pledge to protect my friends.”

As soon as she lowered her arm, a red blur whooshed past, narrowly missing her ear. Halo yanked a boomerang from her pocket and spun around. She enjoyed a game of catch as much as anyone. But since her back faced the pitcher, this toss was very unsportsmanlike.

“Lob another one.” Halo swung the boomerang like a baseball bat. “This time I’ll smack it back.”

She tapped the stick against her palm and waited for someone to jump out from their hiding spot. Near the middle of the branch a ballerina ornament swayed, as though someone leaned against it.

“Mystery person, show yourself.”

Nothing.

Holy burnt brownies. Unfriendliness wouldn’t do. Time to meet this puzzling Treeple.

Halo bounced off the pine needle, onto the branch, and sped along the tree limb. Once she neared the ballerina, she pivoted into a perfect cartwheel. But her foot slipped on a mushy glob. She fell on her back.

Heat beat a path across her face as she pushed her gown down over her legs. She threw her arms up, acting as if she meant to land like an upside-down turtle. “Ta da!”

No response. The space around the ballerina was empty.

A fruity smell floated in the air. Halo tugged her boot across her leg. Sticky juice oozed from a crushed strawberry stuck to the sole.

The fruit flinger must’ve been ready to throw again until Halo scared him off, dropping the strawberry as he ran away. But who’d be so careless to throw food and leave slippery pieces along the branch? Halo could’ve fallen off the tree. Or been speared by a pine needle.

Being the Village Protectress, she should warn her friends. But if this season unfolded like the others, nobody, except for Bell, would believe a twelve-year-old.

Near the tree’s top, a boy’s voice echoed through the air. “Halo…where are you?”

Leon!

From the distance of his voice, Halo calculated he was four branches above and on the opposite side. She tucked the berry inside a pouch. Leon wouldn’t dare doubt her if she showed solid proof.

Nobody messed with Halo’s yearly pledge to protect her friends. She’d make sure no changes came to the peaceful village of Loblolly Pines.

Leon yelled, “Ready or not, here I come.”

Halo waved a hand across the front of her body. Glittery stars swirled about. Her gown morphed into green leggings, an emerald-colored vest, and a shirt-dress the color of a pickle. A sturdy belt wrapped her waist, equipped with a red pair of eyeglasses connected to a long stick and a sheath for the boomerang. Her white hair spun and twirled, forming two long braids.

She didn’t have time to play a game. The mysterious thrower might be ready to toss more berries.

But Halo knew the best places to hide.

Red and white striped boots replaced buckled shoes as Halo vaulted to her feet. She tucked a heart-shaped locket hanging from a silver chain inside her shirt and barreled to the end of the branch.

A candy cane nestled between two pinecones created a perfect hiding space. She leaped behind the striped stick.

Vacant.

Three branches above, a boy with hair the color of a chocolate bar trotted along a limb, shaking the needles. He jumped behind a race car ornament. As usual, Leon’s superb skill of guessing which way to move brought him closer.

Snap.

Up and to the right, a tinsel string quivered. Halo stood still like a snowman. Was she close to the berry pitcher?

A nearby rustle kicked up pine scents. A crunch echoed to the left. She darted in that direction and ran smack into Leon hanging upside-down from an upper branch.

“Boo!” Leon pointed his fingers. “Gotcha.”

Halo pushed his hands away from her face. “How’d you find me so quick?”

“Those bells on your goofy boots.”

“Awww…sprinkledink. I forgot to silence them.”

“Plus your drab Robin Hood outfit is easy to spot.”

“Beats your puke-green leprechaun suit.” She brushed glitter off her vest and hid her smile. Their first-day clothing jokes always tickled her bones.

Leon swung and somersaulted in the air, landing beside her. With a sweeping wave, his clothes changed into his favorite white peasant shirt and tan suede pants. He glanced behind her.

“Wow. You gained weight.” He pointed at a silver ball ornament.

“What?” She grasped the stick on the eyeglasses, held them against her eyes, and leaned close to the mirrored surface. The ball’s curvature distorted her reflection, making her appear short and wide. “Very funny.”

“Fooled you.” Leon grinned, showing off his adorable dimple.

He studied her face, nodding as if he had found the answer to a riddle. “Something is different, though.”

“Not falling for that one again.” Halo cracked her knuckles and readjusted her belt.

Leon kept staring.

“Did I grow an extra eye?” she asked.

“You look great, Angel Girl.”

She loved it when he called her that, but his other words were wacky weird.

Leon also looked different this year. Gold highlights now streaked his curls. His face was thinner, more muscular, which emphasized his perfect nose. And holy ancient pine trees, he stood three heads taller!

“Stop joking.” Halo shook the pouch containing the smashed strawberry. “We need to talk before the introductions start.”

“Cool your icicles. Everyone’s still moving to the base.” Leon created a rag and polished the mirrored ornament with circular strokes.

As if on cue, six Treeples shimmied down the trunk. Two men, three women, and one child waved and continued their downward hike.

Leon blew on the ball and wiped off a smudge. “Told you.”

“We have a serious safety issue in the tree.” Halo tossed pouch toward Leon. “Look inside.”

He tugged the draw-strings open and lifted the crushed strawberry by its stem. “A fruit is a serious safety issue?” He shook the sticky mess. “Take this monster berry away from me. I’m scared.”

“But listen. Seconds after I landed someone threw one at my head. Then I slipped on that one, which was scary because I could’ve fallen off the tree.” She didn’t mention her unladylike tumble. “And get this. No one claimed the dirty deed. The branch was empty.”

“I saw a child carrying a basket of strawberries. He probably dropped one.”