From Lizard Tails

Novel excerpt and illustration By Ben Gamberg

Chapter 1: The River Incident

It was early in the morning on June 2nd…

“Hey, Swamp, wanna go swimming?” Marsh asked playfully.

“Come on, you know we can’t without Mom and Dad,” Swamp responded.

Marsh stared at him for a moment—then jumped in.

“What are you doing?!” Swamp shouted.

Marsh drifted toward a rocky area. She started gasping for air. Swamp, being the older brother, jumped in to save his sister. The current pulled them both downstream, farther and farther, until they no longer knew where they were.

Later that night…

“Hey, Pine, do you know where the kids went?” Rain asked.

“I thought you knew,” Pine replied.

They looked around the den, but it was silent. Normally the hatchlings were loud and hungry after playing. Now they were nowhere to be seen.

“I’m sure they’re fine,” Pine said confidently.

They went to bed without worrying, assuming the kids would be back in the morning.

Chapter 2: Oat and the Heron

June 17th, nighttime…

Marsh and Swamp were lying under a tree, resting before continuing their long journey home. Soon, the early morning light of June 18th crept in.

“Marsh, why would you jump in?” Swamp yelled.

“I’m sorry… I was just trying to have fun. I didn’t want this to happen,” Marsh said in a quiet voice.

They began walking aimlessly in hopes of finding their family. Instead, they found a large otter. He was also very grumpy.

“Who are you two train wrecks?” asked the otter.

“I’m Swamp, and this is my sister, Marsh.”

“Huh, cool, I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders as he looked up. “I’m Oat.”

The siblings were happy to find someone, but Oat seemed to have other plans.

“Hey, you—get me a fish, please.”

Marsh shook her head. The two went at it. After a long argument, Marsh and Oat made an agreement.

“If you two get me food, I’ll help you find your parents,” said Oat.

“Agreed,” said Marsh.

Deep in the pine rocklands on June 30…

“Pine, this isn’t good,” said Rain, worried.

They were currently in the pine rocklands, sitting on the limestone, pondering whether they would ever see their hatchlings again.

“Don’t worry. They are together,” said Pine reassuringly.

They walked along the river, hoping to find them. They had laid rocks along the path they had come from. Then a giant blue heron swooped down toward them.

“Run, Rain, run!”

To Be Continued! 🦎