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    The Wards of Clovis Gloober
    The Wards of Clovis Gloober
    The Wards of Clovis Gloober
    Ebook142 pages2 hours

    The Wards of Clovis Gloober

    By Duane L. Ostler

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    About this ebook

    Maddie has never cared much for the stars, her world revolving around normal eight-grade life at Centennial Middle School. Then she befriends an exchange student named Asteria, a girl with glowing white skin.

    But there are a number of strange things about Asteria. Why does she claim she's never been outside to look at the stars at night? Where is the strange place called 'Rana' she says she comes from? Who is the mysterious 'Clovis Gloober' who acts as her guardian? And why is the dark-eyed boy named Ukrat so determined to ruin Asteria's budding friendship with Maddie?

    Asteria unexpectedly takes Maddie on a fantastic journey among the stars, a voyage beyond Maddie's wildest dreams. But not long after, Maddie and Asteria are faced with a terrible choice that threatens to destroy them both ...

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDuane L. Ostler
    Release dateDec 9, 2012
    ISBN9781301407507
    The Wards of Clovis Gloober
    Author

    Duane L. Ostler

    Duane L. Ostler was raised in Southern Idaho, and has lived in Australia, Mexico, Brazil, China, Utah, the big Island of Hawaii, and—most foreign of all—New Jersey. He practiced law for over 10 years and has a PhD in legal history. He and his wife have five children and two cats.

    Read more from Duane L. Ostler

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      Book preview

      The Wards of Clovis Gloober - Duane L. Ostler

      THE WARDS OF CLOVIS GLOOBER

      By Duane L. Ostler

      Published by Duane L. Ostler at Smashwords

      Copyright 2012 Duane L. Ostler

      Discover other titles by Duane L. Ostler at Smashwords.com

      This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed solely for non-commercial purposes, and only if the book remains in its complete, original form and contains the copyright notice. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author.

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      CHAPTER 1 - Picking up Aunt Lilly

      CHAPTER 2 - The Magic Box

      CHAPTER 3 - The Girl at Wal-Mart

      CHAPTER 4 - An Unexpected Lunch Guest

      CHAPTER 5 - The Andromeda Galaxy

      CHAPTER 6 - A Knock at the Door

      CHAPTER 7 - Planning a Sleepover

      CHAPTER 8 - Aunt Lilly's Idea

      CHAPTER 9 - Asteria's Room

      CHAPTER 10 - The Pizza Olive

      CHAPTER 11 - Back to Asteria's House

      CHAPTER 12 - Questing

      CHAPTER 13 - An Unexpected Reaction

      CHAPTER 14 - Across the Roof

      CHAPTER 15 - Where is Asteria?

      CHAPTER 16 - Other Kinds of Stars

      CHAPTER 17 - Asteria's Sacrifice

      CHAPTER 18 - The New Star

      CHAPTER ONE – Picking up Aunt Lilly

      Why did Aunt Lilly have to come on the morning train? It’s so early its dark out here!

      That’s true, said Mrs. Roberts, smiling at her daughter. It usually is at 5:00 a.m. But there’s no later train from Boise that comes here. It’s now or not at all!

      Maddie did not reply. Eyes half closed, brain have sleeping, she just sat and stared out the car window. She had loved Aunt Lilly’s visits ever since she was a little girl. Aunt Lilly was always so alive, and zany and fun! Even though Maddie was now 14, she still felt the same crazy excitement at seeing her favorite aunt. So it was no wonder she had insisted on coming along to pick her up from the train station.

      Now however, she just wished she had stayed home in bed. This was positively way too early for any normal person to be up. She could have slept in and just said a cheery ‘hello!’ to Aunt Lilly later, at a sensible hour.

      But of course, she couldn’t turn back the clock, and go back to being in bed. And her Mom would not turn the car around now, even if she begged for it.

      We’re not the only ones up at this hour, said Mom. See that guy on the bike? He’s out and about, even though it’s dark.

      Maddie peered through the window at the bike as they approached it. Whoever was on it was riding in a very sloppy way. He veered and swerved all over the road.

      As they got closer, Maddie could see that there were bags tied onto the bike. They were full, stuffed with some unknown object. Whenever the rider of the bike would swerve, the bags would fly out like bird wings, trying to take flight.

      Newspaper deliveries, said Mom as they drew alongside the bike. The papers have to be on people’s porches early.

      As if they had heard her, the rider of the bike reached in one of the bags and pulled out a newspaper. They tossed it toward a porch just as Maddie’s car passed him. Looking back, Maddie watched as the paper seemed to hang in the air, like a feather dropped from a bird.

      When the paper hit the porch, there was a brilliant flash of light that blinded Maddie. Did you see that? she cried.

      See what? asked her mother, slowing down for a stop sign.

      When the paper hit the porch, there was a flash of light! said Maddie.

      Really? said Mom in that condescending tone that showed she didn’t believe it. How odd.

      They had stopped for a second at the stop sign, even though there were no other cars in sight. Mom was a very law-abiding driver. If she was the last person on earth, and no one was left who cared, she would still stop at every stop sign.

      The person on the bike was just catching up with their car as Mom started to move through the intersection. Looking back, Maddie caught a glimpse of them under the overhead street light.

      She caught her breath. She had never seen such a wild looking old lady! Her wavy hair stuck straight out from her head for several inches in every direction. Her eyes looked as large as light bulbs. Her nose was like a cracked walnut; her mouth like an old picket fence with several slats missing. There were at least four teeth gone!

      She was wearing a long overcoat, that would hang below her knees if she was to stand up. It was purple velvet, and seemed to throw both shadows and light in strange directions.

      The weird lady raised her eyes to look at Maddie as she pulled away. Those eyes! They seemed to pierce into her very soul. She felt like the old lady somehow was able to peer inside her brain, and see her deepest thoughts, worries and fears.

      The old lady smiled at her, a toothless smile. Maddie did not smile back.

      Did you see that lady? she exclaimed, turning to her mother. She looked positively weird!

      Now, Maddie, said her mother in her soft scolding voice. We don’t talk like that about other people. She obviously hadn’t even looked at her.

      But she did! cried Maddie. She had wild eyes and a long purple coat! Maybe she escaped from jail, or something!

      Mom just laughed softly, the way she did when she disapproved of something that was said, but wasn’t going to fight about it. We’re almost to the train station, she said, trying to change the subject.

      No wonder people don’t come out this early! said Maddie. With people like that around, it isn’t safe!

      She looked back through the window. She could just make out the wild lady, still swerving all over the rode on her bike. For the first time she noticed that it wasn’t even a normal bike. It had one of those old-fashioned banana seats, like they used to have on bikes in the ‘70s.

      She saw the old lady pull another paper out of her bag and toss it at a porch. Her mom was turning to another street, so she just missed seeing it hit. But she could have sworn there was a brief flash of light just after they turned the corner, and the paper was out of sight.

      We’re here! said Mom, pulling the car into the train parking lot. And there’s Aunt Lilly! Her train must have come early!

      All thoughts of the weird, wild guy vanished. With a huge smile, Maddie jumped out of the car and ran to her aunt.

      Hey, lipstick! cried Aunt Lilly, throwing her arms wide and giving Maddie a bear hug. ‘Lipstick’ was one of Aunt Lilly’s pet names for Maddie, derived from a visit when Maddie was five and had used lipstick to draw all over one of Aunt Lilly's favorite dresses. How’s my favorite troublemaker?

      Just fine, Aunt Lilly! said Maddie, hugging her back. Then she looked up at her aunt. But why did you have to come so early? It’s still dark out!

      Aunt Lilly laughed. I can see you’re becoming a true teenager, if you think this is early. Glad to know it. You probably spend most of your time trying to get your mom to take you to the shop and look for clothes. Am I right?

      Both Maddie and her mom smiled. Truer words were never spoken.

      Well, let’s not grow roots in this train station, said Aunt Lilly, grabbing up a suitcase. Let’s go home, so Maddie can go back to bed and dream about new shoes!

      Maddie picked up an old, square looking suitcase. There were pictures of flowers and birds all over it. It looked so old that all the flowers looked like dirty socks, and the birds like old tires.

      Maddie’s eyes were shining. The magic case! she said happily, looking up at Aunt Lilly.

      You don’t think I’d go and leave that home, do you? asked Aunt Lilly. You may be a teenager now, but there’s still magic in the magic case!

      Maddie hugged the ugly old suitcase tightly as she carried it to the car. She had the most wonderful memories of the crazy, magical things her aunt used to pull out this old suitcase on her visits. What did it have in it now, she wondered?

      Aunt Lilly was chattering away with Mom as they got in the car, ‘going a mile a minute,’ as Dad always said. To look at the two of them, you’d never think they were sisters. Mom was small and petite and quiet, with soft brown eyes. Aunt Lilly was big-boned, and tall, with piercing green eyes and a wide-open personality. They were as opposite as two could be.

      And so, Aunt Lilly was saying as Maddie got in the car, Mrs. Ferguson absolutely blew a fuse! ‘You can’t have all those cats in here!’ she kept screaming. ‘Pets aren’t allowed!’ Turns out the lady was German, and had asked before she signed a lease if she could bring her ‘pots.’ Mrs. Ferguson told her she could have as many ‘pots’ as she wanted! Boy was she in for a surprise!

      Maddie smiled. Mrs. Ferguson was the landlady of the building in Boise where Aunt Lilly lived. Aunt Lilly was always telling wild stories about that building and the people who lived there, and especially about stogie old Mrs. Ferguson. She always made it sound like the most exciting place to live in all the world.

      When Maddie got a bit older, she planned to go live with Aunt Lilly in Mrs. Ferguson’s building.

      As the car pulled out of the train station, Aunt Lilly turned to look at Maddie in the back seat. So, who is he? she asked knowingly. Tell me all about him!

      About who? asked Maddie, mystified.

      Your boyfriend, of course! said Aunt Lilly with a huge smirk.

      Boyfriend! said Maddie in shock. I don’t have a boy friend!

      A likely story, teased Aunt Lilly in a disbelieving tone. Don’t tell me you still don’t care for boys! You’re not a little kid anymore, you know. I’ll bet you’ve got your eye on one or two right now, at your school!

      Of course I don’t! replied Maddie, her face turning scarlet. But her voice didn’t sound very convincing, even to her.

      Still, there was no way

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