Book Review- "The Curse of Ravenscourt." by Sarah Masters Buckey

"The Curse of Ravenscourt." by Sarah Masters Buckey is part of the American Girl series of books in which fictional adolescent girls have adventures at various periods in U.S. history.

The Curse of Ravenscourt takes place sometime in early 20th century New York City. While their house is being renovated, eleven-year old Samantha Parkington and her extended family move into the  new "Ravenscourt" apartment building in downtown New York City.  

Almost immediately, strange things begin to happen and Samantha  thinks that a curse placed on the building's owner-Horace Raven by a tenant of one of his slum properties is to blame.

Author Sarah Masters Buckey has written an exciting story complete with many historical details of the era including the terrible living conditions of the tenements.

"Jake the Logger" a short story by Craig Zimmerman.

They brought Jake's father in just before dinner. A falling snag had broken his leg. The logging camp doctor set the leg and gave his father something for the pain, but there was nothing to take the worried look from his mother's face.

Jake knew what his mother was worried about. Without his father's paycheck, there would be no money for food or anything else. It hadn't always been like this. Once they had a nice house and plenty of everything. Then the Depression came and Jake's father lost his job as a teacher.

Eventually, they all moved to a logging camp near the small town of Enumclaw. Later that night, after the smaller kids had gone to sleep Jake's mother came to him. She told him that even though he was only 15, he would have to go to work. There was no other choice.

The next day, Jake walked alone to the makeshift office of the boss of the logging camp. Jake looked at the massive man behind the  desk and cringed.Most of the loggers were large, powerful men and Jake felt like a runt compared to them.

The large man held out his hand " Eric Olson" the man said in a low rumble. Jake grasped the man's hand "Jake Wagner." "What can I help you with Jake?"  Mr. Olson said. Jake looked into the hard face of Mr. Olson. "I need a job." he said simply.

 Mr. Olson nodded grimly. "I'm sorry about your father. and I know your family needs the money, but I don't know." "Just give me a chance." Jake pleaded.  Mr. Olson was silent for several moments, but then smiled.

"I am going to give you a chance." he said, but you are going to do everything you are told. Do you understand?"  Jake nodded. Be here tomorrow at five in the morning and I will get you started Mr. Olson said.

 When he got home, Jake heard his parents arguing. It didn't take long to find out that he was the subject of the  disagreement.Eventually, the argument faded and Jake's mother exited the bedroom. "Your father would like to talk to you Jake." His mother said upon seeing him."

Jake entered the bedroom and saw his father lying on the bed. His leg was wrapped in bandages. His father motioned for him to come closer. "What did Olson tell you." he asked. " I got a job." Jake said.

His father shook his head. "I wanted so much more for you son. You're smart and you could be so much more than a laborer." Jake waited until his father fell asleep before he left the room.

The next morning, Jake walked to the logging camp. All the men were heading into the woods with their tools. No one paid any attention to him. Finally, one of the loggers came up to him.

"Are you Jake? The man asked in a German accent. Jake nodded. My name is Wagner. I'm going to show you what to do." Jake shook hands with the man and immediately noticed the heavy scars that covered his arms.

When they reached the logging site, Wagner pointed to a couple of men who were sawing on a huge tree. "You go take over for Joseph, he's the one in the red shirt."

Jake shyly walked over the the two men. Both of them ignored him as they pulled the crosscut saw back and forth. Finally, Jake tapped the man in red on the shoulder. "What is it boy?" the man asked in a Polish accent. "I'm taking your place." Jake said over the noise of the lumber camp. The man laughed and took his hands off the saw handle. "It's all yours boy."

Jake grabbed the long handle of the saw and nodded at the other man that he was ready. After an hour of pulling the saw, Jake was exhausted, but he didn't quit.The work of felling  the huge tree went on for most of the day. Finally, they were done and Jake watched in awe as his partner shouted "Timberrr!" and the massive tree tumbled to the ground.

Over the next several weeks, Jake learned how to handle an Axe, cinch a  heavy choker chain on a felled tree, and drive the Oxen team that pulled the logs down from  the mountain.

One day, there was some kind of mix-up and several men were badly hurt by a falling tree. Afterwards, Wagner came up to Jake. "Always pay attention to what is happening around you. Always." the big German said. Jake nodded.


In late October, Jake's family received some unexpected good news. His father, now recovered from the  broken leg had been offered a job teaching in Enumclaw. Unfortunately, that meant Jake would also  have to quit his job.

Jake had learned  to love working at the camp and would miss the rough loggers who had become friends. On his last day, all the guys gathered round and Wagner presented him with his own Axe. " You did good work Jake and anytime you need a job you come back and see us." Jake shook hands with Wagner and the rest of the men and slowly walked down the mountain. 

"Pothole" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

Jason cursed the county as he narrowly avoided a pothole that had sprung up on his street. It sometimes took weeks for the county to fix the road.

The next day, the pothole was even larger and Jason plotted a way to get around it without going into the ditch. As he drove around the edge of the hole, it seemed to expand and Jason felt his car being pulled into the chasm.

In moments, Jason's entire car began sinking into the hole. He struggled to get out, but it was impossible to open the door as his car began to fall through space.

The car stopped with a jolt and Jason opened the door. Every trace of his world was gone. There were no houses, or trees, or anything familiar. His present location was almost dark. A dim light came from somewhere and there was smoke from a fire.

"Welcome to Garnton" a voice said. Jason turned to see a tall, hooded figure approaching him. "Who are you?" he asked the hooded figure. 

"I am Traymor  the leader of Garnton. Most of our new arrivals have a lot of questions, so I will attempt to answer them." Traymor said.

"Garnton is a world of few natural resources and in order to get the materials we need we are forced to use unorthodox methods." "Then the pothole was some kind of transportation device." Jason said.  Traymor nodded. 

"If you want my car, you can have it, but I would like to go home." Jason said. "Traymor smiled. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. It is true that we need your car, but we also need workers, so  you will stay as well."

"There is no need to get upset, most of our arrivals come to like Garnton." Traymor said. Jason looked through the dim light at the barren landscape and thought he heard Traymor laughing.

"Alone" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

For the first time in her life, Julie was alone, completely alone. In a daze, she looked at the buildings and people around her. Nothing looked familiar and all of the people were strangers.

Julie wandered for hours and finally realized that she was lost. Without any hope left, Julie tried re-tracing her steps. Somewhere along the way, a woman asked her if she needed help. Julie ran away from the woman as fast as she could.

Eventually, Julie's surroundings started to look a little familiar. She entered a coffee shop and moved through the tables. There it was! Julie picked up her phone from the floor. Everything was alright now. She was no longer alone.

First Crush by Craig Zimmerman

Her name was Sandy and she was tall, dark-haired, and slightly older then my eleven years.

Sandy and I were in the same class that combined the fifth and sixth grades at Panther Lake Elementary School. I recall speaking with Sandy a few times, but I was much too shy to carry on a real   conversation with her. It would have been nice if I could have  gotten to know  her.

In any case, I am grateful for Sandy's kindness to me. Not all girls at that age are as gentle and sweet.

The last time I saw Sandy was while I was voting in one of the presidential elections. She smiled at me from across the room. I hope that she is doing well.

The Pond by Craig Zimmerman

When I was a boy, the pond was a peaceful oasis where I could dream and marvel at the many creatures that lived in and around the wetland.

The pond was located in the remains of a forest not far from the city of Tacoma, Washington. A thick layer of Douglas Fir, Cedar, and Madrone Trees concealed the pond from the outside world. A narrow trail led through the trees to the shore.

The main body of the pond was roughly oval and covered about half an acre. At the north end of the pond a tiny "island" stood a few feet from the shore. Not far from the island, a shallow channel led to a smaller section of the pond that was about a third the size of the larger section.

On warm days, Bullfrogs would sun themselves on the shore. At the first hint of danger, the whole group would leap into the water. The natural camouflage of the Leopard Frog blended perfectly with the plants that grew in the shallow waters of the pond. Green Tree Frogs used the suction pads on their feet to cling to the branches of Alder Trees that lined the shore. The Western Newt was the only Salamander species that lived in the pond. 

The salamanders were one of my favorite creatures of the pond. There were the remnants of prehistoric epochs in the supple way they moved through the water.

A cluster of large rocks near the island was the favorite meeting place for a group of Catfish. A few Trout also shared the pond.

A variety of unusual insects inhabited the pond. The larva of the Caddis Fly dotted the surface of the pond in their floating homes made of bits of wood and grass. The Water Boatman used its' oar-shaped limbs to "row" itself across the water. Diving beetles carried a bubble of air in order to descend to the depths of the pond. Above the water, colorful Dragonflies darted back and forth hunting Mosquitoes and other pests.

The pond was also home to several bird species including Robins, Blue Jays, Gold Finches, and occasionally a few ducks. 


In 1977, the pond was drained and covered with dirt. The forest around the pond was leveled. Eventually, several houses were constructed at the site.



   The single Madrone Tree in the photo below is about the only remaining trace of the pond.

"Music From Below" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

In the beginning, Geology Professor Michael Abrams thought the message was a joke. An old friend sent him an email about a story from Arizona.

Apparently, a worker described hearing music at the bottom of a Copper mine. The mining company did an investigation and could find no logical reason for the sounds in the mine. Abrams did a little investigating himself and found out the story was true, although the cause of the "music" could be any number of things.

After all of his classes were over, Abrams decided to contact the mining company. The mining company agreed to let him look into the mystery.The weekend was coming up and it would be a nice change from the routine.Michael  arrived in Phoenix on Saturday morning and after checking in to his hotel he rented a car and drove the 50 miles to the mine.

The mine administration gave him a tour of the grounds and Michael did not find anything geologically unusual about the site. Abrams then asked if he could go down in the mine to hear the sounds himself. The management was a little reluctant, but after he signed a safety release, they decided to let him go.

Michael, the mine foreman, and a couple of workers entered an  elevator  that slowly descended into the depths of the mine. After the mine stopped, the group traveled along a lighted corridor for about half and hour until they reached their destination.

The mine shaft where the music was first heard ended in a pile of large rocks. For several minutes, Michael heard nothing and then it started. The sounds emanating from beyond the rocks were unlike anything that he had ever heard  before and he hit the button on a tape recorder. Michael once and for all dismissed the idea  that there  might be a natural explanation for the phenomenon. The beauty and complexity of the  music  suggested a composer.

When the group returned to the surface, Michael went to talk to the site manager and tried to convince him to let Michael explore the mine shaft further. The manager was reluctant to allow any more exploring, but relented after Michael suggested that it could bring some favorable publicity to the mining company.

Professor Abrams spent the next several weeks preparing for the exploration of the mine shaft. He recruited several of his best students as helpers and compiled the latest scientific and safety equipment.

Before the group left for Phoenix, Michael received a message from the mining company that the rocks had been cleared away and there was now a visible tunnel at the end of the mine shaft where the music was first heard.

Michael was excited as a little kid when he and his students descended into the mine. Professor Abrams was the first one through the newly uncovered tunnel. The music was louder now and he eagerly followed the sound.

After about half and hour, the tunnel widened into a large cavern. The music was much louder now and Michael could feel that they were getting close to the source.

The cavern ended in another tunnel and Michael and his group cautiously followed the tunnel. Whatever was making the music was right up ahead. 

The tunnel led to another large cavern, but this one was occupied. Michael and the student's lights exposed some kind of musical instrument that occupied half the cavern. Several colorless humanoids were "playing" the huge instrument. The lights from Michael and the others startled the creatures.

They left the instrument and cowered in a corner of the cavern. Michael tried to tell them not to be afraid with gestures and a quiet voice, but it did no good.

 Suddenly, The ceiling of the cave shimmered and cracked. Tiny pieces began to fall. Michael and his group backed away while the cave disintegrated in front of them.  Even while he was watching the destruction, Michael realized that it was the explorer's presence that triggered the catastrophe. The New World was gone.