Vinetropes

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ISBN: 978-1-85149-857-4

ËxHSLIPBy498574zv;:":=:*:& US$17.95/C$24.00

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KBOOK �NEL RETURN �F THE VINETROPES

he wee folk have returned! But they are called vinetropes, not fairies. Uncover the mystery of who they really are and why they have returned to earth in this first book in The Vinetrope Adventures series.

Following a young girl, Sara, who has recently lost her mom to cancer, Return of the Vinetropes tells the story of the birth of a remarkable fairylike creature who Sara discovers in her backyard. She is Lucinda Vinetrope, born wise, full-grown and all alone, but possessing some astounding powers. Lucinda knows the world is different to how she remembers it and fears she is the last of her kind. The two protagonists instantly bond and begin a quest to see if other vinetropes still exist. Lucinda’s arrival heralds the return of a Vinetrope Nation, a highly developed civilization from the distant past, but it might also mean the return of their ancient, evil counterparts and could put humans, vinetropes and the planet in danger. With unique, life-altering powers, vinetropes have the ability to shape the course of history for the better, but if the bad folk return and conflict arises, the fate of mankind could prove to be grim. Chock-full of fantastic characters, such as the comical squirrel brothers Ekle and Apkin, and the elegant and courageous owl named Owletta, this first book takes the reader on a mystifying journey into a changing world.

Dedication I would like to dedicate this book to my daughter Kara Lysandra Ross who was the inspiration for the character Sara And to my two wonderful granddaughters Anna Catherine Colón and Kayleigh Hayden Colón And in memory of our son Gregory Scott Ross who was the inspiration for the character Steven

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BY SHERRY LAZARUS ROSS

ILLUSTRATED BY JULIE BELL

© 2017 World copyright reserved ISBN: 978-1-85149-857-4 The right of Sherry L. Ross to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, or photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Front cover and spine design: Michael Nelson (michael@michaelnelsondesign.com) Illustrations © Julie Bell, except for those noted as follows: Page 126: “Opening the Car Door” by Fred Ross Page 330: “Owls Returning in a Snowstorm” by Sherry Ross Printed in China for ACC Art Books Ltd, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 4SD, UK

CONTENTS

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1e The Birth of Lucinda Vinetrope

7

2e Sara Makes a Discovery

13

3e Lucinda Meets Two Friends and Receives a Clue

45

4e Lucinda is Introduced to Someone Important

81

5e Owletta Makes a Brave Offer

109

6e Time to Sneak Inside

137

7e Owletta’s Journey Part 1

167

8e Trick or Treat

191

9e A Catastrophe, a Shock and a Loss

227

10e More Surprises All Round

257

11e Owletta’s Journey Part 2

287

12e Owletta’s Return and a Baby is Born

321

13e Journey to Haw River

357

14e The Homecoming

397

15e What’s Next?

439

Evening Song of Things to Come

445

Cast of Characters

446

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1e

THE BIRTH OF LUCINDA VINETROPE

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t is a beautiful, cool, moonlit night in early October and the moment is very still. Trailing around the trunk of an old pine tree grows a mysterious vine. It is not like other plant life in the area and it has grown late in the season. But what makes this vine most unusual is the one large, pale green, silky pod that lays on its side in the pine needles. If you know it is there, you might notice a very light glow coming from it.

The glow pulses on and off with a heartbeat-like rhythm. Then it stops for a time. There, just then, the glow pulsed! There is a quick clicking noise, and then several small cracking sounds, quiet and easily missed. It is not a late summer cricket. It reminds you of the sound you hear in your own head when you crack open a pumpkin seed with your teeth. Two delicate hands emerge from a slit in the top of the pod. The hands grasp the edges and push against each side and the pod opens wide. Into the night air steps a most fantastical being. Lucinda Vinetrope is born. And she is wearing an exquisite pumpkincolored dress.

“Where am I?” Lucinda whispers into the night. “Who am I? My name is Lucinda.” She does know that.

She looks around and recognizes nothing. This isn’t the world she expected to find. It is not even remotely like the place she has been dreaming about while developing in her growing chamber. Something is terribly wrong. Where are

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her people? They should be here to greet her. Her broken pod turns brown, withering away as she watches. Even the long tangle of vines around the tree shrivels up, now that her life is not attached to it. There are no other pods in sight. She is now feeling frightened. Why is she all alone?

“This is definitely wrong,” she thinks to herself. She sniffs the air and then puts her nose to the ground and sniffs the earth. “All wrong,” she confirms. “This earth is too dry. It smells bitter and old. I’m sure it is supposed to smell moist and rich; bursting with life.” She looks up into the pine tree and then all around her. “I don’t recognize these plants. Where are the seedsong trees? They should be everywhere. And it is too quiet, even for night.”

It takes a bit for what she knows and what she sees, smells, hears and feels to be understood at all. After all, she has just been born and so much would be new even if she were in the right place. That’s when she notices the huge structure across the way and down a slope of land. It is so huge she can’t quite believe what she is seeing. “Is that a chimney? Why, if that is a place in which someone lives, it would have to belong to a giant. But giants, as I see them, were never able to build anything that fancy. Well, still, it may very well be some kind of giant. And that means there is life here.” This gives her a bit of comfort, but not much. She will need to be strong and get to the bottom of it all.

She can be strong. She would be strong for her people, so she must be strong for herself. She must, if she is to survive.

Her fear subsides for a moment and she fills with a deep loneliness instead; an aching loneliness. She needs to be with her people to even be herself. And she’s sure her people need her. It is frightening to recognize nothing; to be in a world that feels so alien. Her mind aches and her body aches. She

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suddenly feels hungry but, more than hunger, she is overcome by complete exhaustion. She must sleep. She will deal with this in the morning after she rests. Maybe things will fall into place. Maybe her mind will feel clearer, work better.

“I must sleep,” she says out loud. “In the morning I will be able to find food.” Lucinda circles the tree and finds a little hollow between its roots. She pushes some pine needles into the hollow, climbs in and covers herself with some of them. In a second she is in a deep sleep.

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ISBN: 978-1-85149-857-4

ËxHSLIPBy498574zv;:":=:*:& US$17.95/C$24.00

www.accartbooks.com

Ro� N B�LL

KBOOK �NEL RETURN �F THE VINETROPES

he wee folk have returned! But they are called vinetropes, not fairies. Uncover the mystery of who they really are and why they have returned to earth in this first book in The Vinetrope Adventures series.

Following a young girl, Sara, who has recently lost her mom to cancer, Return of the Vinetropes tells the story of the birth of a remarkable fairylike creature who Sara discovers in her backyard. She is Lucinda Vinetrope, born wise, full-grown and all alone, but possessing some astounding powers. Lucinda knows the world is different to how she remembers it and fears she is the last of her kind. The two protagonists instantly bond and begin a quest to see if other vinetropes still exist. Lucinda’s arrival heralds the return of a Vinetrope Nation, a highly developed civilization from the distant past, but it might also mean the return of their ancient, evil counterparts and could put humans, vinetropes and the planet in danger. With unique, life-altering powers, vinetropes have the ability to shape the course of history for the better, but if the bad folk return and conflict arises, the fate of mankind could prove to be grim. Chock-full of fantastic characters, such as the comical squirrel brothers Ekle and Apkin, and the elegant and courageous owl named Owletta, this first book takes the reader on a mystifying journey into a changing world.