Megan lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Timmy lives in Banbury, England. Timmy's grandpa lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife, Megan's grandmother. He encourages their grandchildren to meet via Skype. They meet. Megan creates a game she calls Pretend I Am. Timmy a fervent follower of the comic book character, Ed Gage the Humming Detective, agrees to play. Megan thinks of it as a game of pretend, but surprise, surprise-IT WORKS

THE VIRTUAL ADVENTURES OF MEGAN AND TIMMY

By KD Groethe

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2012 KD Groethe
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4685-5049-8

Contents

Chapter 1 First Met.............................................................1Chapter 2 A Virtual Game........................................................5Chapter 3 A Greeting in Greenland...............................................11Chapter 4 Bubo 's Barn..........................................................15Chapter 5 A Town Called Greenville..............................................17Chapter 6 Happiness Is a Brown Coat.............................................21Chapter 7 Here We Go Again......................................................29Chapter 8 A Funny Thing Happened at the Well....................................33Chapter 9 Meeting Princess Solana...............................................41Chapter 10 A Twist of Fate......................................................47Chapter 11 A Surprising Pick....................................................55Chapter 12 The Hunt.............................................................65Chapter 13 It 's Showtime.......................................................73Chapter 14 To the Lady Leverhulme Art Gallery...................................81Chapter 15 A Very Strange Painting Indeed.......................................85Chapter 16 The Secret...........................................................91Chapter 17 Finding Darma 's Mr. Right...........................................97Chapter 18 Meeting Jason Greer..................................................101Chapter 19 Meeting Alday........................................................107Chapter 20 Bubo Returns.........................................................113Chapter 21 A Successful Exploration.............................................119Chapter 22 One Wish Granted.....................................................127Chapter 23 Bidding Goodbye......................................................133Chapter 24 Eastward Ho, a Fantilicious Show.....................................141Chapter 25 A Magical Mystery Tour —No, Really!............................147Chapter 26 How Bizarre the Bazaar...............................................151Chapter 27 You Wouldn't Believe It..............................................157Chapter 28 A Rubik 's Cube, No Less.............................................163Chapter 29 Well, I Never........................................................169Chapter 30 BOO! Guess Who?......................................................177Chapter 31 A Rueful Ruse........................................................185Chapter 32 The Trial............................................................195Chapter 33 To and Fro the Winds Did Blow........................................201Chapter 34 In the Nick of Time..................................................213

Chapter One

First Met

Once upon a day in virtual reality time, Megan said the magic words and Timmy did the same. What happened next sent them on an adventure they could never have imagined—even in their wildest dreams and scariest nightmares.

It began when Timmy was talking to his grandpa on Skype. His grandpa, who had recently married Megan's grandmother and moved to Minneapolis, asked him if he'd like to meet Megan. Soon after, although Timmy lived in Banbury, England, and Megan lived in Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.A., they met in a most unusual way.

"Yes, Grandpa," Timmy said, "that would be great. We could talk and when we're done, I'll have a new friend. Do you think she likes sports?"

"You'll have to wait and see, Timmy," his grandpa replied. "You'll have to wait and see."

After approval from Megan's mother, Timmy's grandpa gave him Megan's e-mail address and, soon, though miles apart, they saw each other for the first time.

On a day too cold to play outside, Megan was at her computer when Timmy called. She had little to do and neither did Timmy. So they talked about lots of things. They talked about their brothers and sisters and their moms and dads. They talked about school: its general rules and the subjects they liked best.

Megan said, "I like English and reading best. I like Nancy Drew and stories from The American Girl series. But what I really like best is to imagine and pretend. I like to think of things that couldn't be. That's lots of fun, you know. So what do you like best, Timmy?"

"Math is my favorite thing, and geography is okay. But really, ornithology interests me most."

"Orni ... what?"

"Ornithology, the study of birds," Timmy replied.

"Oh."

"I love to watch birds and know their names. I like to know why they're called a robin or a crow or a swallow or a dove."

"Do you like to read, Timmy?"

"Yes, and I like comics best because I never have to be tested on what I've read. My favorite is Ed Gage, the Humming Detective. I have a hat and coat just like his, and a magnifying glass and lots of other things. But best of all, I have an Ed Gage, Humming Detective virtual watch."

"What's that?"

"It's a watch that can be set in the future or in the past. And when I set it, it will be that time," Timmy replied.

"You mean, if you set it back twenty-four hours, it will be yesterday?"

"Yes, I guess, if I were in a virtual world. But I've never been, so I wouldn't know for sure."

"I've heard of virtual reality," Megan said, "but I don't understand what it means."

Timmy told her that he had looked it up on his computer and, according to Wikipedia, it meant a computer-created place. It could be in the real world or in an imaginary world.

"Oh? That sounds weird," Megan said. "You can't really do that, can you?"

"What, create an imaginary world?"

"Yes."

"No, of course not. I wouldn't know where to start."

Before their conversation continued, they studied each other for a few moments. Timmy blushed. He liked what he saw. He liked Megan's dimpled smile, her big brown eyes and her light-brown, wavy hair. And he liked the way she sat with her elbows positioned on her desktop and her chin cupped in the V-shape of her hands.

Finally Timmy said, "Do you like sports, Megan?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Do you like soccer?"

"Not much."

"It's my favorite sport, and I'm on a team," Timmy said. "We won the cup last season."

"Oh, that's nice," she replied.

"We were the best team, and I was voted the best player."

"I played soccer last summer, but I like tennis better." Megan paused and took a big breath. "If you like games, then I know one that's so much fun you'll simply love it."

"More than soccer?"

"Yes, of course, but when we play, you have to say that you won't quit. You have to promise."

"What's the game? I have to know the name before I'll play."

"I call it Pretend I Am."

"You mean like, pretend I am a bird or a sphinx?"

"Yes, sort of. Pretending you're flying off somewhere or—oh-oh, my mother's coming. I'm supposed to be doing my homework. We'll have to play some other time."

"Okay. But remember, when you call, England is six hours ahead. So if it's twelve, midday, at your place, it's six in the evening here. That's when we have tea, what you call dinner."

"That's when we have our supper, actually. I'll remember about the time, Timmy. Bye."

"Bye, Megan."

Both clicked off their webcams.

"Are you nearly done with your homework?" Megan's mother asked as she walked into the computer room.

"Yes, Mom. Guess what? This homework is really a blast."

Chapter Two

A Virtual Game

More than a week passed before Megan and Timmy used their webcams again. On this Saturday morning everyone was asleep except Megan. Although it was early, the absence of childish chatter was most unusual in the Flood household. Even her baby brother still slept.

Megan looked at the clock, figuring the difference in time: If it's five in the morning here and I add six hours, it will be eleven there. So she turned on her computer and clicked Skype. Luckily, Timmy was at his computer too.

"Hi, Timmy."

"Hi, Megan. I tried to call the other day, but your computer was busy."

"You did? I'll bet my father was using it."

"Do you remember what we were talking about last time?" Timmy asked.

"You mean when my mother came in?"

"Yes, you were going to show me how to play a game. You called it Pretend I Am, I think."

"That's right. Do you want to play today?"

"Why not? It's raining like crazy here. Is it the same there?"

"Yes, October is always cold and rainy. So let's play. But you have to promise, Timmy, that you'll do exactly as I do. You can't change one single thing."

"I'll do it just like you tell me."

"Okay, but before we start," Megan said, "you have to know what to do. So ... listen carefully. First, you have to take two big backward steps away from your computer. Second, you have to close your eyes and say the magic words, 'Meno meno mene mow, into my PC I go.' Third, you have to jump up as high off the floor as you can, and pretend."

Megan went first and as she jumped up, off the floor, there was a sudden swishing sound. Timmy looked on in amazement because in one blink of his eyes, she was now standing in the middle of a large circular room with lots of different-colored doors, looking bewildered and scared—until he saw her watching him watching her.

"All right, Timmy," she said, "it's your turn. You promised. Remember?"

"Okay, never fear, Timmy's here, and here I come!"

Timmy did the same, but this time there was no swishing. He had wanted to see where he was going, so he ended up landing with a sickening-sounding thud on his bum.

Megan shouted from the circular room, "You weren't pretending! You were wishing you didn't have to do it. But you promised! And if you don't, you're just a big scaredy-cat! A really, really big scaredy-cat."

Timmy couldn't let that remark go uncontested. After all, he was the man. He told her he could be braver than any other boy or girl. Maybe I'd better take my Ed Gage Detective Bag with me, he thought. He got the black bag, which was nearby, and checked its contents. Let me see: hat and coat, watch and magnifying glass ... and all my other gadgets.... Right, they're all here. I'll do it this time. With his detective bag in hand he tried again. This time he didn't peek, and with a swish he also stood in the circular room.

A perfect two-point landing had set him next to the red door. A good omen, he thought. Red is my favorite color. Everything he had on was red, except for his jeans. His sneakers were red, as were his Manchester United soccer shirt and cardigan. Turning slowly, he saw the real Megan for the first time. He noted that she, too, was dressed for play, sporting a white blouse, jeans, yellow-and-green sneakers and a yellow-and-green jacket with the letters GB on it.

So there they stood, face to face, barely believing what had just happened. They looked each other up and down, and out of their mouths came the only word that could properly describe what had happened: "Awesome!" Megan's excited eyes said the rest. Timmy gave her a little push to see if she was something other than a picture. Megan did the same to him and, sure enough, he was real and alive. Then they laughed and did high-fives to seal the deal—and a friendship.

"You brought a bag," Megan said. "What's in it?"

"Stuff I thought we might need. One never knows."

"I brought my purse," Megan said, feeling a bit foolish. "I don't know why, I just did."

Then, slowly, oh so slowly, they looked around and realized there wasn't the slightest noise.

"Oops," Megan said, her voice sounding fearful. "Do you think we could be in a virtual place?"

"Maybe. We did get here through our computers. So, I'd have to say"—he paused and looked around the room again—"Yes ... What do you think?"

"Well ... I'd say yes too, I guess. But how do we get out of here?"

"What do you mean, get out?" Timmy said. "I thought you knew everything about this game. How to get in and how to get out! You don't?"

"I'm sorry, Timmy. I never dreamed the game would work."

"It's a good thing I brought along my magnifying glass and my coat and cap and the other bits and bobs in my Humming Detective bag. I think I'm going to have to use all my detective skills to get us home." Timmy then pulled out his Ed Gage coat and felt in every pocket, but to his dismay he had forgotten something important. "I could have sworn my map was here," he muttered. He stuffed his coat back in the bag.

"Do we really need a map?"

"It was a world map ... But you're right, I don't think it would have been of much use anyway."

"We'll have to look behind every door then," Megan said. "The way home has to be behind one of them." She paused, looking at the swarm of doors, hope being her only consolation. "Then we won't have to tell anyone where we've been or what we've seen."

"They wouldn't believe us anyway. They'll probably say, 'In your dreams,' and then have a good laugh. But in case we can't find the correct one right away, I'll set my Humming Detective virtual watch back a week. That should give us enough time to try them all. I can set it back even more, later on, if we need extra time." Timmy was suddenly thoughtful. "I hope it works."

"Me too." Megan sighed, and then she said, "Which one shall we open first, to quench our curiosity, to quench our thirst ... I read that somewhere. Good, huh?"

"Our thirst ... for what?"

"For knowledge, silly."

"Oh." Timmy paused and then said, "Shall we open the maroon door first? We'll open it slowly just in case there's something scary behind it."

"I sure hope there isn't, because inside this room ... there's no place to run and no place to hide."

Megan and Timmy walked on the tips of their toes to the maroon door, not wishing to disturb whoever or whatever was behind it. They didn't want any more problems than they already had.

Timmy turned the handle and the door creaked open. But he closed it quickly because he saw, on the other side, the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz. He tried the black door next, but again he slammed the door shut because this one seemed much scarier than the one before. It was Captain Hook, laughing his menacing pirate's laugh.

After that, Megan opened the purple door, and this time a wicked farmer's wife looking for Snow White tried to entice the two adventurers by offering them an apple. Megan shut that door too, taking her time before opening another. Both were becoming concerned about whatever or whomever they might meet next.

Then Megan tried the sky-blue door, and it opened easily. Suddenly they felt a gentle breeze flow out to meet them. The air smelled like flowers and perfume, so they stepped out of the room and into an ever so idyllic scene.

Chapter Three

A Greeting in Greenland

By late afternoon, Megan and Timmy were walking down a lane that wove through a thick grove of trees. As they followed the path, they watched every flickering shadow and listened to each silly sound ... unsure of what lay around the next twist or turn. They were looking so hard that they didn't notice they had come to a clearing.

And when they saw the clearing and the lane, Timmy shouted, "Golly, Megan, this could be our way home!"

"It could be. Aren't we lucky to find it so easily?"

"Yes, but—"

"Boo! Boo! Hey, you two! Boo!" a not-so-scary voice shouted.

Megan and Timmy turned back to see who was trying to frighten them, but when they caught sight of who was doing the booing, all they could do was giggle. For, sitting on the top rail of a wooden fence was an owl. Not any ordinary owl. This was a green owl, and it looked so sad it prompted Timmy to say, "I don't think we should be laughing. How he looks isn't his fault."

"You're right, young man. You're oh so right. I guess you've never set eyes on an owl that is somehow evergreen. Who are you, anyway? And what do you want?" he snapped.

"Gosh, Timmy, I don't understand," Megan said. "I didn't know that owls could speak."

"They can't, as far as I know ... But maybe they can if they're evergreen. I know I've never heard one talk before." Timmy paused and then said he'd never seen a green one either.

"You're right, young man. You're right again. I am an owl gone wrong. I've never known my place in life. Unhappily, I can't even sing my song. By the way, my name is Bubo." Bubo looked at Timmy. "And yours is?"

"I'm Timmy, Bubo."

"And I'm Megan," Megan said, and then she looked confused. "May I ask a question, Bubo?"

"Of course," he answered, "my intelligence is seldom used."

"What do you mean?"

Timmy jumped in when he detected that she didn't twig on. "The wise old owl, Megan, the wise old owl. They're actually awfully smart."

"Oh yes, of course, I wasn't thinking. You mean Bubo is wise."

"Well, I don't like to brag," Bubo said, puffing out his chest, "but yes, I can use this head for something other than a hammer, unlike the many I know who just yammer and yammer and yammer. So, what was your question, Megan?"

"Why does everything here look so green?" Megan pointed all around. She added, "Even the haze looks green. I would think that something should be brown."

"That's because you're in Greenland," Bubo replied.

Looking puzzled, Timmy said, "But Greenland's all ice and snow."

"Yes, Timmy, that may be where you come from, but here you have to face the fact that our Greenland is called Greenland because it's ... it's, well ... virtually evergreen."

"Thanks, Bubo," Megan said. "At least we know where we are. Now what?"

"What do you want to do?" Bubo asked.

"I think coming here was a mistake,"Timmy answered. "And I think we should go home. Right, Megan?"

"Right. Maybe Bubo can show us how to—"

Bubo asked, "So, where do you live?"

"We're from the real world, so this world has to be unreal," Timmy said.

"Perhaps it is, my friend. Still, would you rather go home than see more of this green, pristine place?"

"Yes, actually. We would, I guess," Megan said. "We're here because of a game we shouldn't have played. It was my fault. It was a mistake. And now we don't know how to get home."

"I don't think I can help you with that ... But what if it wasn't a mistake?" Bubo said. "Could it be that you were sent here on a mission, to learn all you can about an evergreen land and help me find my hoot? I've never learned to sing the song of the great horned owl. Why? I'm not sure. But all I really want to do is to sit up in a tree, scaring kids like you with a gen-u-ine owl-e-ey ... BOO!"

Chapter Four

Bubo's Barn

Weariness came upon them little by little; Megan yawned and Timmy did too. It had been some time since they had set out to play Pretend I Am.

"Whew," Timmy said. "It seems like we've been here for days and days. I think it's time we went to bed and got some sleep. But we've got no place to stay. I can't even brush my teeth or ... golly, I didn't bring my toothbrush."

"Me either," Megan said. "But I really need to go to bed."

Responding to their need for sleep, Bubo took on a thoughtful look and, being wise, he came to a decision.

"Let me be of assistance," he said. "Follow me, and you'll see a place built for coexistence. It used to be a home for creatures large and small. But they left, and now it's mine to use as I see fit. I call it Bubo's Barn, so ... I guess that's all. That's it. Come!"

(Continues...)

Excerpted from THE VIRTUAL ADVENTURES OF MEGAN AND TIMMYby KD Groethe Copyright © 2012 by KD Groethe. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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