Luke’s Cubby House
Mark Stewart
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
Copyright: Luke’s Cubby House 2011 by Mark Stewart. All rights reserved. This story is fictitious and a product of the author’s imagination. Resemblance to any actual person living or dead is purely coincidental
I dedicate this story to the unsung heroes of the 2011 Queensland floods.
I believe each and every child is a hero.
TEN-YEAR-OLD Luke never saw himself as a hero. He was quite the opposite. Shy, quiet, but had been blessed with an over imagination and liked to be alone. It was on this fact that his father had helped him build a monster of a tree house. They woke early one Saturday morning and with a large shopping list, both Luke and his father drove to the timber yard to purchase all the materials.
The giant gum tree that grew over the river was at least one hundred and fifty years old.
“That is the perfect place for a tree house,” said Luke’s father, staring at the tree.
Three storey’s above the ground the tree had split into four massive snake-like branches. The massive branches grew outwards from the trunk at right angles. Three of the branches stretched out towards the river and the fourth grew out from the trunk towards the back yard of Luke’s house.
In two days the tree house had jumped off the rough drawing and was ready to be lived in. Perched high in the old tree, the house was a mansion compared to the weak cubby houses all of Luke’s class mates had. Not one of his friends ever came to visit. They took it upon themselves to shun Luke’s bubby-house. They would laugh and taunt Luke for having a cubby house that was too well made. Tom was the ring leader of the group. He was the biggest in the class and liked to throw his weight around. Whatever he said everyone else did; everyone except Luke. That was the problem. He was the outsider. He didn’t like the way Tom told everyone to exclude him, but in a small way Luke didn’t mind. He had lots to think about. Luke would shrug his shoulders at them and plan the next sleep over in his tree house. He loved the peace and quiet. Laying in a small bed listening to the tree creak and groan in the wind and looking up at the stars was perfect for Luke. He could easily catch up on his homework or read a good book, or just enjoy the cool breeze that came from the river that flowed lazily past his house.
The next day Luke placed several cans of baked beans in a cane basket, bottles of water were thrown in, as well as fruit and a packet of biscuits. As the rain started to fall he attached a rope to the handles of the basket and climbed the tree. With the aid of a pulley his father had nailed to the tree he lifted the basket up off the ground. He carried the basket to his waist high wooden cupboard and placed all the food items on the middle shelf.
Luke walked to the trap door and wound up the rope ladder. He trotted over to the wooden shutters that covered the plastic windows and settled himself on his chair at the table to watch the river. He loved being inside his tree house when it was raining. He also loved watching the rain falling from the leaves on the tree and best of all he loved watching the river. It seemed to come alive as the water picked up pace as it flowed past the tree.
Luke was staring out across the river, lost in his imagination when suddenly a flock of birds flew past the window squawking. They were that loud he was rudely brought out of his imagination. He threw his hands over his ears to block out the screeching.
Then he saw it.
The wall of water coming down the swelling river looked angry. The wave of fresh water was sweeping everything towards the sea. Nothing was safe from the giant wave. He had watched surfing movies before, the only thing that was missing was the surfboard. He stared bug-eyed as cars, tree branches, fridges, boats and whole houses started to flow past his tree house. He stood at the window staring through disbelieving eyes as the river quickly rose. One minute there was grass between him and the river, the next, the grass was replaced by brown water that was moving very fast. The large old tree seemed to groan and tilted slightly. His tree house felt like it was on a slight lean. Even one of the cupboard doors opened and an apple rolled across the floor.
Luke had his gaze glued on a small red car that was floating towards him. It was bobbing in the water like a cork. One second it was on top of the water the next it was being sucked down only to surface again. His terrified gaze was glued on what appeared to be a person trying to climb out of the window of the car.
Without a second thought Luke sprung into action. Grabbing the thin nylon rope that he used to lift his food supplies up from the ground, he jumped out of the window onto the small verandah that encircled the tree house. In seconds Luke’s clothes were wet through. He didn’t care. He had a goal in mind and was determined to reach it.
Luke crawled along the thick tree branch on all fours and dropped the thin white line down to the river. He knew at best he had only seconds left before the person was washed past and he only had one shot at saving the person.
The rope touched the water and was immediately forced down stream.
Luke brushed the rain from his face and yelled as loud as he could at the person half in the car and half out.
“You down there, grab hold of the rope and I’ll save you.”
Luke wasn’t sure if the person heard him or not and called again. He was calling for the third time when the rope pulled tight. It brushed against Luke’s knee as it tightened, giving him a slight rope burn. The person had grabbed hold of the rope and jumped out of the window into the swirling fast flowing river.
Luke gave the person in the water a sharp nod, crawled along the branch and jumped back onto the verandah. He sprinted to the pulley and started to wind the person back towards the tree house. The rope was as tight as a piano wire. He bit his lip as a doubtful thought swept into his brain.
“Dad, I hope you’re right about the rope not breaking,” mumbled Luke. “I have to believe your words when you said the rope was indeed very strong and can hold anything.”
He wound the handle of the pulley as fast as he could. Slowly the angle of the rope changed to vertical. Luke ran to the trap door and lowered the rope ladder. He watched the person climb out of the water and up to the safety of the cubby house.
The boy stood facing Luke. He was breathing hard and constantly coughed up water. Slowly the lad stood straight and gave his rescuer a feeble smile and a smack on the shoulder. “Thank you for rescuing me. You’re a real hero Luke.”
“Tom, what were you doing in the car alone?”
“Dad said he was only going to be in the shop for one minute. He had to buy batteries for the torch just in case the power went out in our house. No sooner had he closed the door the car fell into the river. All my father could do was run to save me, but the river was too fast. If it wasn’t for you I would’ve drowned.”
Luke slapped his class mate on the shoulder. “Welcome to my cubby-house.”
“I’m sorry for ever making fun of you. Wait till I tell the kids in our class about this place and how you saved me. They’ll all want to see this cubby-house. It’s amazing. I never thought this place would be so sturdy. My cubby house was swept away by the river over an hour ago.” Tom grinned at Luke. “Thanks again. Can we ever be best friends?”
“We sure can.”
“I have a feeling you’re going to have a lot of visitors from now on,” said Tom.
“I like that idea,” said Luke. “I like it a lot. I think everyone needs friends, even me.”
Dear reader,
thank you for reading my short story ‘Luke’s cubby house.’ I do hope you and you’re your child enjoyed it. Any feedback is gratefully accepted. The information you, the reader give, helps me to become a more professional author.
My novels and short stories are based on the Australian culture. Some of the spelling is Australian. Thanks for your understanding.
Again thank you for your support, for without you, the reader, I wouldn’t have anyone to read my work.
Mark Stewart
Email: mark_stewart777@hotmail.com
www.markstewart.com.au
Other novels I have written in the way of romance are: Kiss on the bridge. The perfect gift: Legendary blue diamond. Due out 10th April 2012. A vampire romance is the blood red rose and the tainted rose will follow shortly.
Crime novels: Fire Games/ publish America. Heart of a spider and I know your secret.
Children: A Troglian knows and Luke’s cubby house. Malcolm’s cubby house is completely different/ publish America.
Smashwords has various short stories.
Below is the opening page of my novels in order that I have listed them:
Synopsis: Kiss on the bridge. Adventure romance. Available Smashwords.
How would you react if a tall handsome stranger came up to you on new-years-eve and asked for a kiss?
Kiss on the bridge is set in the year 1974. Cyclone Tracy made land fall in Darwin on 25th December 1974 at 9:55am desecrating Darwin. After Tracy had swept the state there was nothing left except this story. Out of the ruins love sparked and mushroomed between Anneli and Wade. They were destined to meet and tell their story for decades to come.
Synopsis: The Perfect Gift. Adventure romance. Available Smashwords.
Naomi is twenty-six and doesn’t like the way all men mistreat her. She decides a change is needed and applies to be a jillaroo on a cattle station named the Oasis. Its location is in outback Australia. She meets a cowboy, Trent, who is a rodeo champion. They agree on a bet. Eventually both want out, but neither wants to be first.
Through a series of adventures that stretch from the city, to a fast flowing river in the outback where Trent must save Naomi from drowning, love germinates in the middle of a storm.
In her heart, Naomi is a woman who adores the city’s nightlife, but as the sun sets on each day, the Australian outback is enticing and the excitement of the city fades. Then she inadvertently saves the Oasis.
Love is growing, then Brandt; Naomi’s obsessive ex-boyfriend tracks her down. Can Trent save her one last time?
Synopsis: Legendary Blue Diamond. Adventure romance. Available April 20th 2012
HISTORIANS AND researchers say the birth of the legendary blue diamond originated when the earth was being born. Some say the legend commenced at the union between a man who had skin, the colour of the night sky and a woman who had skin the colour of the sun. Rumour has it that the diamond was no larger than a single carrot. Lately there have been whispers that the deep blue coloured diamond was reported to be in excess of nine carrots possibly even ten or higher. What I believe isn’t important, though I assume it lays somewhere in between. There’s been bush talk from the Australian Kimberley’s to Melbourne; whosoever touches the blue stone will die, for it is cursed by God. I believe it is due to man’s greed and the blood that drips from his hands is the truth behind the cursed stone.
I have extensively researched a great number of books on the subject looking for a start date to the authenticity of the legend. I think I may have uncovered the actual events, but I have no way of proving if the facts are correct. I have been able to ascertain the legend was born around the mid 1800’s AD when the State bank of Victoria was in its infancy. A gold prospector unearthed the diamond. In days he had sold it. The buyer was a man in charge of the bank. The diamond was indeed dark blue in colour, but definitely a one off, stroke of luck find. One cold dark night a bushranger, his brother and a third man came into a small town searching for the blue diamond. They never found it. The banker was tortured for the information of the stone’s where-a-bouts. He took the knowledge of its existence to his grave. Of late a possible theory has been circulating that the man’s wife has it in her possession. How she escaped from being murdered was any one’s guess.
If you ask me, do I believe in the story, I’ll answer you truthfully. I know it only to be a legend.
Synopsis: Blood Red Rose. Vampire adventure romance. Available on Smashwords.
“You can’t force me to drink that, I’m innocent,” yelled Haleton. “Rose-a-lee what have you done?”
There was no reply.
William Haleton is a normal man looking for love and the good life then the council of four modifies his DNA and uses him as a guinea pig. They transform him into a vampire. Pleading his innocence falls on deaf ears.
Haleton is hungry for the next evil soul, but deep down he has a burning desire for the love of a girl. Her blood is sweet and hypnotic. Her genetic makeup is his perfect match.
Being transported again through time is not an option.
The clock is ticking.
Haleton will do anything to stay by Amber’s side, but is it possible for her to love him? Can Craig Benyon, Amber’s close friend, be trusted? After all he loves her as much as William Haleton.
If an antidote to the vampire’s curse is found in time, will it be successful, or is everything Haleton going through part of the vampire curse?
Synopsis: Fire Games. Crime. First book in the series. Available only from publish America.
Detective Alan Kendal puts his life on the line to outplay the psychotic arsonist known as Patrick.
Detective Kendal is ordered to team up with Detective Claire Ambroso, whom he’s known since school, but she carries a secret and he has a grey past. Which one will come forward to haunt first? Kendal grows suspicious of his new partner when she aims her gun directly at him and pulls the trigger. What’s her motive? Is she Patrick’s accomplice? If not, who is?
How can Patrick always be one step ahead? Does Kendal have enough time to rescue his kidnapped twelve-year-old daughter, Tegan, before Patrick’s fiery finale?
Synopsis: Heart of a spider. Crime. Second book in the series. Available Smashwords.
Detective Kendal is on the trail of a patient who has escaped the mental institution and wants to sever Kendal’s life line. The chase is complicated by the visitation of a ghost and the appearance of a supposed vigilante.
Kendal doesn’t believe in ghosts, but finds himself having a conversation as he stares at one. His partner, Claire Ambroso has to fight for her life when Kendal is told to meet GP at the wharf when the moon is at the highest point in the night sky.
Confusion sets in at a local supermarket when a robbery goes wrong and someone in Kendal’s family is shot.
The trap is set for the person who masterminded the escape and a final shoot out at the hospital reveals amazing results that astounds even Kendal.
Synopsis: I know your secret. Crime. Third book in the series. Available Smashwords.
Everyone has a secret. Some people take theirs to the grave. Some hold their desires inside for a lifetime. Some stew on their secret all their life, and then they get revenge.
I know your secret is a suspenseful crime novel. Melbourne homicide detective Alan James Kendal and his partner Detective Claire Ambroso have to locate a missing teenage girl. The case hots up when he is introduced to a medium. She seems to hold all the knowledge of the case except a few minor details, like, why did Kendal find an empty bullet shell that had a note inside that read, ‘I was paid to miss.’