*****
Epilogue: The Secret in the Garden
The Labor Day picnic was over and the barbeque was a huge success. Grandma had fixed baked beans, coleslaw, and roasted corn on the cob. There were homemade yeast rolls too and fried apple pies for desert. While everyone found a comfortable spot to relax and let their dinner digest, Ben decided to step outside and stretch his legs. He asked Casey if she wanted to go, but she was busy texting one of her friends on her cell phone.
Although it was September and the first day of autumn was less than three weeks away, it still felt like August in sunny South Carolina. There would not be any cool fall weather here until October and even then, the days were usually warm and only the nights were cool. Ben walked around to the back of the house and stared at the bamboo patch. It was hard to believe a year had gone by since he first visited Camelot. Grandma had told him and Casey all about Grandpa building her secret garden. Ben had to admit it was a very clever plan, but there was no longer any sign of a road into the bamboo patch. It looked exactly as Ben remembered it. Curious, he approached the patch.
He walked along the edge of the bamboo until he came to a section where he could see a light tan colored gravel among the canes. He glanced over his shoulder. Everyone was still inside and the blinds in the kitchen window appeared to be closed. He hadn’t been in the patch since his grandma told him the tree was destroyed. There was no need to go there. There was nothing of any interest inside the bamboo now. Still, something drew him inside.
As he twisted his way through the canes, he found it difficult as ever to get to the center, but he finally made it. In here, large field stones formed a circle about twelve feet in diameter. The ground within the circle was covered with the same tan colored gravel that had once formed the road, only here inside the circle there were no canes growing.
The park benches were still here and looked strangely out of place. They were on opposite sides of the circle, facing each other. Ben walked over and sat in one. It was kind of a neat place after all. The bamboo offered a shady escape from the hot sun. It was quiet in here and very private too. Ben leaned forward and looked at the ground in the center of the circle, where the Merlin tree had once stood. What was that poking up through the gravel?
He rose from the bench and stepped to the center of the circle, where he could have a closer look. Kneeling down, he pushed his glasses up onto his nose and examined the small sapling that had pushed its way up through the rocks. It was a skinny little tree, not more than eight or nine inches tall. At the top, it split in half, forming two tiny branches that looked like short, stubby arms. Could it be? There were tender green leaves on both branches and, strangely enough, a small pile of leaves on the ground around the tree. Ben picked up one of the leaves and examined it. He didn’t recognize it at all. He slipped the leaf into his shirt pocket so he could look it up online later on. Somehow, he didn’t think he’d be able to find it.
As he started to rise, a slight movement caught his eye. It was the tree! It was a little bit taller now and the leaves had a tint of red around the edges! Great day, it was a Merlin tree! Grandma had told them the tree did not have any roots when Grandpa pulled it over with the tractor. Maybe it didn’t have any roots like the trees we’re familiar with. Maybe it only had a single tap root that snapped off when the tractor pulled it over and maybe now that tap root was sprouting up a new tree.
Ben heard the screen door slam and quickly rose to his feet. He didn’t want anyone to see him coming out of the bamboo. He didn’t want anyone to know about this new little tree. How long would it be before it was large enough to crack open the doorway back to Camelot? How long would it be before he could see Amos, Hob, Gob, and Nob again? He remembered the wagon ride and singing Yankee Doodle with the three dwarfs and it made him smile.
“I’m coming back, guys,” he whispered. “I'm coming back.”
THE END
*****
BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
THE THIRTEENTH UNICORN
Book #1 in the Ben Alderman Series
While spending the summer with their grandparents on a remote farm in South Carolina, Ben Alderman and his sister Casey uncover a hidden world of magic; a world their grandmother is secretly visiting. It is a world where elves and dwarves are locked in mortal combat against a witch who is trying to free the last surviving wizard from exile. The witch has been defeated once before but with the combined power of the wizard, no one will be able to stand against them. Much to Ben's dismay, he learns that he is the one foretold in the ancient elfin prophecies to bring about the downfall of the witch and save this exciting new world from destruction.
THE BLACK DRAGON
Book #2 in the Ben Alderman Series
With the witch defeated, the elves begin preparations to once again take up their vigil, guarding a black dragon from Crag named Zoltan. Merlin's last enchantment has kept the dragon asleep for centuries, but when Gabriel brings Hob along to inspect the dragon, the bumbling dwarf finds Merlin's staff and accidentally breaks the enchantment. Gabriel and Hob escape from the dragon into a cave that leads them into Kahzidar; the dreaded gnome mines, where they are captured by the mad gnome king Ringwald Stonebreaker. Ben, Casey, and their Grandma must join forces once again with Amos, the shape shifter, to save Camelot from the dragon that's bent on destroying it. But first, they must rescue their friends from Kahzidar
THE FINAL PROPHECY
Book #3 in the Ben Alderman Series
It's spring break and a visit to the Alderman farm leads to another exciting adventure in Camelot. Marcus, the elfin mage known as the Keeper, has been captured by Bellator, the mightiest of the twelve Immortals. Bellator is holding Marcus for ransom until Excalibur, the sword blessed by the Creator, is returned to him, but no one knows where the sword is located. Was the final prophecy of Venus given to provide hope in times of darkness or was it intended as a warning? Is Ben really the chosen one? Will he save Camelot... or destroy it?
AFTERWORD
I hope you have enjoyed reading about the adventures of Ben and Casey as much as I have enjoyed writing about them. If you did, please send me an email and let me know! My email address is
[email protected] and I answer every email. Also, if you’d like to help me out, here are some things you can do:
1)Be sure to rate the books and leave a review. Reviews help other readers decide whether or not to give a book a chance.
2)If you have an account on www.goodreads.com, look up W. D. Newman and become a fan; it’s a great promotion tool for authors.
3)If you have a Facebook account, look up The Thirteenth Unicorn and “like” the page.
4)Lastly, and most importantly, tell your friends about the books! Nothing encourages an author more than a lot of happy readers.
For my next project, who knows? I only know that I am going to continue to write children’s stories; stories that are clean, decent and fun.
I think the next one will be an adventure story.
Or maybe a scary story.
Or maybe a mystery.
Or maybe…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
W. D. Newman is the penname for William Dale Porter. Dale and family live on a farm that is located in a small valley in the beautiful lake and mountain county of Pickens, South Carolina.
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