Chasing The Lights: Cooper Parks Adventures, #1

Acknowledgments

THE IDEA FOR THIS STORY came to me through a conversation I had with my oldest grandson before he had his own vehicle.

I was running Scotty and Koby (my two grandsons at the time) up to the church on a Wednesday night. On the ride a search light was streaming through the sky. When Scotty saw it he said, Granny, lets go see what that spotlight is about.

With no extra time to spare, I of course told him no.

Awe, Granny. Please?! He begged.

I still refused but his excitement to go check the spotlight out and then his statement that followed gave me the sperm of an idea for this book.

To his little brother he said, If I had my own car, we’d go check it out Koby.

Thank you, Scotty for your enthusiasm for life and this new series I’m working on today.

This idea lead me to start writing Young Adult fiction. I believe the Cooper Parks’ Adventures will spark the minds of young people from middle school through senior high. I hope they will enjoy the stories of the different adventures Cooper and Bailee find themselves entangled.

Join me yearly for a new adventure to share.

I’d also like to thank my great-niece, Sophie, who read the first draft and gave me some great critiques and insight in writing this story. She was so excited with the outcome, I knew in my heart this was another avenue God opened to me for sharing His love with others.

Thanks again Scotty, Sophie, God, and all who have taken the time to edit Chasing The Lights.

Dedication

I’D LIKE TO DEDICATE this first book of the Cooper Parks’ Adventure series to Scotty, my grandson, and Sophie, my great-niece. I’m sorry it’s taken so long to come to fruition but I’m mighty glad for the idea and the encouragement that made it happen. And I dedicate this book to young people all around the world, encouraging them to follow their dreams.

Scripture

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Chapter 1

WHERE AM I?

Billy Dee Walker rubbed his neck as he tried to open his eyes. Shifting his weight, he attempted to sit up. It wasn’t easy. The heaviness fought him every step of the way. His muscles screamed in protest as he rolled onto his side, eased up onto his elbow, and then pushed himself upward with every ounce of strength he could muster. Ultimately, he managed to sit on his haunches with his body bent forward from his waist. He was too weak to stand.

The weight of his eyelids wouldn’t give in as he tried relentlessly to force his eyes open. His foggy brain did not respond as quickly as he expected. Billy managed to blink three times as he straightened his spine and eased up straighter on the floor working out the kinks.

Sitting tall he saw darkness all round him with only a dim mist of light coming from above. Not enough for him to see much of anything.

Where am I?

Again he questioned himself to no avail. Rubbing his eyes he tried harder to focus on his surroundings.

The vague haze of light he had seen earlier, he now recognized was moonlight that shone through some windows placed high up on the wall, near the ceiling. Turning his head slowly, for the pain in his neck was still evident, one way and then the other, he realized he was confined inside a dog cage. He couldn’t stand even if he had the strength.

How did I get in here?

He drew his knees close to his chest and locked his arms around his legs. Thankfully the cage was made for a big dog, for Billy was a tall boy. Billy dropped his head onto his knees and started thinking back.

I met Shelly in the school parking lot after the game. Brought her home. After kissing her—  

He broke his chain of thought for a moment as he replayed the kiss in his mind, smiling to himself. The tension he had been feeling started melting away from his nerves as the sweetness of her kiss touched his heart.

No!

He had to stay focused. Shaking his head, he made himself return to the business at hand.

I told her I had to go home and do a little studying. A big test tomorrow that could bring my grade up some or drop it too low. I had to make an A or a B on it. It was important to our future. I needed a good grade.

His brows furrowed.

Then what happened after that? Think man think! Rubbing his temples, he tried hard to remember what he did next.

Dropping his hands to his side and drooping his shoulders he stared for a moment into the grey darkness outside his cage. Despair started seeping in again.

Suddenly with a jolt, he remembered.

I followed the light! He sat straight again and balled his hands into fists. He remembered. He was heading home, but then saw that lights fanning the sky back and forth. He couldn’t stop himself. He followed the beams. Before he knew it, he was at a strip mall looking through a window behind the two spotlights that had been scanning the sky. No one was around. It was late...after ten-thirty. Stores were closed all along the sidewalk. Billy found himself looking at the purple scooter in the store window, thinking this would be a great gift for Shelly. And then...he felt a prick in his neck and his knees buckled. Before he knew it, he was hitting the sidewalk and he couldn’t stop himself. Everything went black.

Oh my gosh, that’s it! Someone drugged me! Who? Why?

This time he focused beyond the cage he was in and noticed several more cages, all as big as his. In one cage to the farthest corner, he noticed a dark blob lying within.

Another boy?  I’m not the only one? What the heck is going on here?

Hey you! Can you hear me?

Chapter 2

WHERE IS BILLY DEE Walker?

James Cooper Parks, Jr. better known around the school and by family and friends as Coop, read the title aloud for his lead article into this week’s school newspaper, The Prairie. The paper was his baby now. He had worked his way up to editor-in-chief of The Prairie. Two years ago, while a freshman at Prairie City High, he was given assignments of stories to chase, scoops to dig out, and then write them for the paper as an interesting article for the kids to read. He did what he was told. Then in his sophomore year, he was given free rein finding his own leads. Now a junior in high school, he told the newbies what stories to cover and edited them all. Of course all final decisions went through Miss Lily Johnson, the art teacher who was in charge of the school paper.

Coop glanced at the title one more time as a tingle swept through his veins. Was this a tingle of excitement about the possibilities of a great new story to write? Or was this a tingle from fear...wondering what one of his classmates might be going through? Had Billy been kidnapped for the money his parents could pay? Or was something worse going on? The reporter in Coop needed the answers to his questions.

Maybe it was the combination of both. Scraping his lip with his upper teeth, Coop considered the possibilities. He saved the current publication one more time for good measure and then sat back and read his story aloud.

Local classmate, Billy Dee Walker, is missing. His mother told reporters that Billy never came home last night after the high school football game. Today police are looking for leads in the disappearance of the seventeen year-old boy.  The star quarterback was last seen leaving the locker room after last night’s game. Friends say he was going straight home. He had a test to study for, according to sources. So where is Billy Dee now? Alert authorities if you know anything that may help them find our schoolmate.

That sounds good, Coop, Miss Johnson said as she entered the room making her presence known.

Thanks, Miss J. It’s the lead story for our paper this week. What do you think? He rested his hands on his jean-clad thighs. Do you want to check it over before it goes to print?

His teacher shuffled the papers in front of her before sitting down behind her desk, and then she stacked them to one side.  Did you double check the lines, spacing, and layout of each article?

Yes, ma’am.

How about ‘Open Mike?’ Did you get some feedback from last week’s complaint? The ‘Open Mike’ section of their paper was started by Cooper and approved by Miss Johnson last year. The subjects touched upon seemed to reach the students, drawing them into interaction with the biweekly paper.

So many people responded to that one. Most agreed and wanted to see more candy and soda machines around campus. It appears more students would rather snack than eat a hot meal at lunch.

Coop wanted to agree, but since a lot of his family meals were take-out from restaurants with an occasional fast food thrown in the mix, he didn’t mind the cafeteria food at all. It’s not that hot meals weren’t cooked at his house, because they were...by his dad, the chef. Unfortunately with both his parents being teachers, they didn’t always get to come straight home after school. This left little time to make a big hot meal every night during the week. James Cooper Parks, Sr. cooked a great supper at least once, if not twice, during the school week. And on the weekends, he surprised them each day with a wonderful hot meal. The Sunday dinners after church were his crock-pot favorites. The two to three hours the family spent at church on Sunday mornings was just enough time for the meats cooking to fall off the bone, making the meals so flavorful and tender. His dad ought to write his own recipes that he had concocted for the slow cooker and put them in a book. It would be a best seller. When they arrived home after church, James made two side dishes and usually heated or baked some fresh rolls to go with the crock-pot meal.

Although Coop felt strongly that all should eat their meats and vegetables daily, a candy bar at whim or a soda on the run would be great. I think I found the responses that showed the majority’s feelings both ways—pros and cons. Not everyone’s response will get in verbatim, but I did note all who went pro and all who went con, so they would know their voice was heard. There just wasn’t enough room for everyone’s response. And that’s a good thing. He smiled at Miss J. Do you want me to read them to you?

The corners of her lips lifted as she rose and tucked a blond curl behind her ear. I trust you, Coop. I’ll read them when I get my copy straight off the press! She flicked her brows as she gave Coop a nod. Did Caitlin and Steven turn in their articles for the paper?

He nodded.

Did you get any pictures this week for any of the stories?

He smiled and arched his brows. Of course. Bailee wouldn’t let us down. She loves taking a snap or two for whatever story any of us are working on.  Bailee Reed was Cooper’s next-door neighbor as well as his best friend since elementary school.

That’s our girl. Let the presses roll.

Coop knew presses roll was a line Miss J loved to spout. Back in the earlier days, when they used a big printing press almost like the town’s paper, she hated the messes and the noise that filled her art room. Today she loved that the students typed the articles, and the editor laid them out within the computer with no external messes whatsoever. When all articles and