Merry Christmas

Twenty-one years ago, the real DTB Cousins spent one of their most unique Christmases ever. Darin was in Australia, Troy was in Japan, and Brad was in Chile. They were all serving missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was one of two Christmases I spent away from my family and friends in the beautiful country of Chile. Although I missed my family and our traditions, those experiences were priceless. I gained a greater appreciation of what is truly important in life. It wasn't the presents that I missed and thought about, it was the family traditions. My parents called on Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) so that I could have the opportunity to partially share that special time with my extended family, albeit long-distance. I also got to experience holiday traditions of another culture, gaining a greater love and appreciation for the people I was there serving. From letters I received from my cousins, I know that they had similar experiences. Merry Christmas everyone!

P.S. As I was looking at the pictures from that Christmas, I remembered that one of the gifts I received was the same shirt I was wearing on the Narrows hike 8 months later. It said: "Someone in California <3's me" and was a gift from Uncle Merlin and Aunt Sally.

Movie theme song

As I was thinking about my blog, and what I should publish, Enya's "Wild Child" started playing. I immediately recalled the fact that I've often thought this would be the perfect song to be playing in the background of the flood scene in The Narrows Escape. In fact, I've recreated the entire scene in my mind's eye with the song playing in the background. In my mind's eye, the camera speed is about 60-75% of real speed as the characters are leaping obstacles, slipping on rocks, shouting warnings, and scrambling to climb to high ground while periodically glancing back at the wall of water and logs churning down the river channel. In any case, it makes for a thrilling scene. Now that it's published, making the book into a movie would be the ultimate success. It's a long shot, but you have to envision something before it can actually happen.
Regarding the themesong, what song would you choose? I'm interested in reading your comments.

Horseshoes

One of my favorite activities from our family reunions growing up was the horseshoe tournament. It still is - probably because I usually do well. We usually have several different tournaments over the course of the reunion including: singles (men), singles (women), singles (youth), singles (kids), doubles (men), doubles (youth), and doubles (mixed). In any case, my early drafts of the Narrows Escape included both a singles and a doubles tournament for the youth. The feedback I got from family and friends who read the early drafts was that there was too much horseshoes. I didn't necessarily agree, but since several people mentioned it, I decided to cut out the singles tournament and just focus on the doubles - mixing in the best elements of both. Several people will tell you that the final draft still contained too much horseshoes, but I wasn't willing to cut out any more.
Here is the original clip:

“Where’s Liz?” asked Devin.

“She’s taking care of the camp for my mom this morning. She’ll come over in a bit,” Amber informed him. She turned to Brady and said, “I guess I get to play you.” Devin handed her the shoes he’d been using, then moved aside to watch their match.

“Well don’t beat me too bad,” Amber begged as she hefted the shoes and adjusted her grip.

“I’m sure you’ll give me a run for my money,” Brady said, humbly accepting the praise.

“Mind if I take a couple of practice throws?” she asked.

“Go ahead,” Brady offered graciously.

Her first throw took a bad bounce on the uneven ground and caromed out of the pit right at Devin. He had to leap up to avoid getting hit. “Hey watch it!” he yelled. “Are you trying to send me to the hospital too?”

“Sorry!” Amber said sheepishly. Unfortunately, she quickly found her range and began schooling her younger cousin once the match began. On successive rounds, she successfully encircled the post with one of her shoes. The pair of ringers gave her a quick 6-0 lead.

On the next round, one of Brady‘s throws finally landed within a shoe’s width of the stake – good enough for a point. Unfortunately, one of Amber’s was closer.

“It looks like we both get a point,” she said, after measuring.

“Actually only the closer shoe gets a point,” Brady reminded her, gloomily. “You’re up 7-0.”

“Hey, all right! Hey Dad, get a load of this! I’m actually beating Brady!” she called out.

“Good for you!” Uncle Marvin called back encouragingly. He was playing his own game on the next pit against Uncle Rob.

“How embarrassing,” said Devin mockingly, slowly shaking his head.

Amber turned and gave him the eye. “And just what is so embarrassing?”

“Losing to a girl,” Devin said with a grin.

“You just wait,” she said. “After I put Brady away, I’ll beat you too.”

“If you say so,” he replied doubtfully. He had faith that Brady would come back. But his admiration of Amber’s skills slowly grew as her lead mounted to 14-2.

“How many points do I need to win?” she asked.

“Twenty-one,” Brady sighed. He looked humiliated, but wasn’t about to give up. Finally he got hot, and tossed a ringer. He started picking up points on almost every round, but it was too late. By the time he battled back to within three, Amber needed only one more point to win. On the next set of throws, Brady would have picked up two more points, but Amber’s second throw aced out his points, giving her a 21-17 victory.

“You better find your stroke before the doubles tournament,” Devin instructed while Amber began announcing to everyone that she’d won.

“She’s good!” insisted Brady.

“Yeah, she’s all right,” Devin admitted. “But, still … losing to a girl…you embarrassed the club.”

“Get lost!” said Brady, shrugging Devin’s hand off his shoulder.

“I’m just kidding!” said Devin.

“Well, just remember that when you lose to Liz,” Brady declared.

“Yeah, right,” scoffed Devin. “That’ll be the day. I could win that game blindfolded.”

“Well, here she comes. So go get your blindfold and prove it,” suggested Brady.

“Well, okay, maybe not blindfolded,” Devin amended. He was sure he would win, but he wasn’t going to get carried away either.

##

Devin wiped his brow again, replaced his hat and congratulated Liz on a game well played. His narrow escape, though, didn’t do him much good. Shane was waiting for him in the next round, after a 21-2 pasting of Brady’s sister Lindsey.

It wasn’t much of a match. Shane dispatched Devin quickly, but not painlessly. Devin was devastated after the loss. After all his hard work, he had only scored six measly points against his brother. That was even worse than last year.

“You played well,” said Brady, trying to console him.

Devin looked at Brady incredulously. “How do you figure? I lost 21-6.”

“22-6,” corrected Brady. “He already had 19 when he tossed that last ringer.”

“Thanks for clarifying that,” growled Devin. He turned and strode away. He wasn’t in the mood to talk about it.

“Well don’t get too depressed,” Brady counseled, hurrying to keep up. “We’ve got to regain our form before the doubles tournament starts.”

“What’s the use!” sighed Devin. “Amber beat you and Shane whipped me. We’re toast.”

Shane's character bio

I've shared character bios for the three DTB cousins, but Shane is the other main character in The Narrows Escape. Here is his character bio:

Shane Arthur Allred

Novel: The Narrows Escape Time & Setting: Summer 1983

Birth date/place: July 20, 1969; Provo, UT

Married: no

Homes: Provo, UT (1969-1970; St. Paul, MN (1970-1973); Provo, UT (1973-1975); Farmington, UT (1975-1983); Northland, UT (1983- )

Hair: blond, wavy Eyes: bright blue Facial: oval

Weight: Height: Build: fairly muscular, strong legs, trim waist, average weight Skin tone: naturally fair, tans well during summer

Unique Physical Characteristic: small scar above left eye

General Health: great

Positive traits: athletic, fast, good hand-eye coordination, natural leader, outgoing, popular, respectful of adults, adventurous, charismatic, smart

Negative traits: overly competitive (especially with Devin), prideful

Favorites: Color: red Food: steak & potatoes Drink: lemonade

Music: soft rock Literature: Hardy Boys, Sports Illustrated Movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Chariots of Fire

Clothing: preppy: polo shirt, jeans, penny loafers

Hobbies/Interests: playing sports (particularly basketball), track & field, likes to watch football and basketball (Jazz, Broncos, BYU), hiking and camping, games, girls, amusements parks, the beach, rockets (born on day of lunar landing)

Education: Will attend Northland High; plays on basketball team, track & field; wants to be class president; honors student 3.8 GPA

Religion: LDS

Financial status: does paper route, mows lawns to earn extra money

Politics: Republican

Father: Arthur career: HS counselor (Northland HS) birthday: 2/18/45 car: blue Dodge truck (doubles for camper)

Mother: Jen career: homemaker (audiologist) birthday: 9/7/47 car: maroon station wagon

Siblings: Devin (12/24/70), Kendal (9/25/74), Olivia & Emily (8/1/79)

Pets: dog (Mr. T – because of black stripe down middle of white head)

Home life: pleasant; shares room with Devin, but both boys want their own room; competitiveness between boys sometimes causes contention

Friends: Steve Green (second cousin), Joel Sanders (school)

Favorite possessions: his awards and trophies

Car: no

Greatest accomplishment: helps rescue his sister and dad after mudslide; Eagle Scout

Greatest regret: doesn't really have one

Short term goals: wants to make HS basketball team

Long term goals: wants to own is own business or become an astronaut

Fears: bears

Worst problem: wants to improve relationship with Devin, but both are too competitive

Secrets: unknown

Philosophy: Be the best that you can be

How changing: Has to adjust to new environment (CA), developing friendships w/ girls

Influenced by (Heroes): family and friends – particularly his parents; (Pres. Kimball, Pres. Reagan, Steve Young)

What does this character want more than anything and why? Wants to earn full ride scholarship to college because his parents don't have the money to pay for it.

If you were meeting this character for the first time, what would strike you most about him/her? His charm

Why will the reader care about this character? He is brave.

Why is this character in the story? His relationship with Devin is a major plot line. Also, his disappearance after the flood is one of the key events.

Write a diary entry for this character (entry into the novel): Our house was destroyed by a mudslide, but luckily I was able to rescue my dad and Olivia, so we're all okay. They were stuck up on the second floor, hanging from a window, and I convinced Olivia to jump down to me, so I could catch her. Then my dad jumped down, and I helped him out of the mud. When we got back, a TV reporter interviewed me for the evening news! It was so awesome. The mayor even came over and met me and awarded me the city's medal of honor! Unfortunately, we're going to have to move. We might even go to California, which would be cool, but I'd miss my friends.

Thanksgiving

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to do my first book signing. Although it wasn't as successful as I'd hoped, I still wanted to express my thanks to the Nelson family at Ensign Books for giving me the opportunity.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, which we just celebrated, I wanted to take the opportunity to give thanks to all those who have helped me achieve my lifelong dream of getting my book published: I'd like to thank my wife Cheryl for all the support and encouragement she's given me over the years as I've struggled to find a publisher for my book. I'd like to likewise thank my family for all their support. Each of my siblings and inlaws, as well as most of my aunts, uncles, and cousins, have purchased a copy of my book - some multiple copies to give to others as gifts. I want to also thank all my friends, or friends of family members, who have also purchased copies of my book. I want to thank anyone who has recommended my book to someone else. I especially want to thank my parents who have done more than anyone to spread word about the book. I'd also like to thank each of those who read early drafts of The Narrows Escape, and gave me critical feedback to make it better and more marketable. In particular, I'd like to thank my friend Pat Mosbacker, an English teacher at Canyon View Junior High, who read my "proof," and helped me catch most of the minor errors that had crept in with all the revisions. I'd like to thank the ranger at Zion National Park who answered my many questions about standard operating procedures in case of a flash flood. I'd like to thank Jon Casbeer for suggesting I create a Facebook page for The Narrows Escape, and everyone who "liked" it. I'd like to thank each person who has "shared" one of my posts regarding my book. I'd like to thank Nanette Johansen for taking the time to write a review of the book. I'd like to thank each person who visits this blog regularly, increasing the traffic and thereby its popularity. I'd like to thank my sister Amy Strong for making me business cards to advertise the book. Finally, I'd like to thank Kent Minson for his insightful feedback and his help in getting the book published. I'd also like to thank all the other employees of Y Mountain Press who helped with the production of my book.
Enjoy the holidays! Brad Allred

Brady's fear

When trying to come up with a personal struggle for each of the DTB cousins to work through during the course of the book, I decided that I wanted one of the cousins to overcome a fear. Since Brady was the youngest, and his mother was the "worry wart" among the aunts, I decided to have him struggle with overcoming his fears. Although I personally have never really struggled with any phobias, I have seen how debilitating a fear can be. Yet I also witnessed how fear could be overcome by courage. My grandmother struggled with clausterphobia throughout her life. In 1988, she was with us in New York when we went up the stairs of the Statue of Liberty. The stairway was cramped, and with so many people inside, once you were committed, there was no backing out. My grandma would have flipped out inside there under most circumstances; but because she had to help take care of her 15 grandkids, she was able to control her fear for the duration. During the Fourth of July chapter I've referenced over the last couple of posts, I also introduced Brady's fear of water. When I cut out the chapter, I transferred that introduction to the reunion. One part I couldn't transfer was the discussion on fear Brady had with his father when he was punished for his part in the firework fiasco. Here it is:

Just as he suspected would happen, Brady was grounded for a week. He didn’t care too much about that. What bothered him was seeing the disappointment in his parents’ faces.

“I just don’t understand why you’d do such a thing!” exclaimed his mom. “Didn’t you know how dangerous that was?”

“Yes, but I hate it when people think I’m a wimp!” declared Brady as he fought to hold back the tears that threatened to flow down his cheeks.

“There is nothing wimpy about choosing the right,” declared his dad. “In fact, it takes a lot more courage to stand up for the right than it does to go with the flow. Courage isn’t doing dangerous things in order to prove your bravery. True courage is doing what’s right no matter the cost.”

Brady thought about that. He usually didn’t cave into peer pressure. And if it had been anyone else trying to get him to go light fireworks, he would have refused no matter what they said. But these were his cousins - his best friends in the entire world! He couldn’t afford to have them think he was a wimp too. Otherwise, now that Devin was here, they might start doing things without him.

On the other hand, he couldn’t do anything with them anyway if he kept getting grounded. “I’m sorry,” he said contritely.

“Well good. I hope you learned something from all this,” said Mom.

“I did,” said Brady. He wanted to have true courage – the kind his dad had. He needed to overcome his fears – especially his fear of water.

##

Since he couldn’t do anything with his friends, Brady decided to use the time to do some extra reading. He was an avid reader, and enjoyed letting books transport him to other places and times. Unfortunately, he had already read all the books in his own personal collection and couldn’t go to the library to get any more. So he began going through the books in his dad’s office.

As he browsed what was available, he found a box of old Scouting magazines. Interested, he began thumbing through some of them. As he picked up a magazine from the stack, the words “Virgin Narrows” seemed to stand out like a neon light – especially since they were accompanied by the word “disaster.”

He quickly found the article and began reading. The further he read, the lower his jaw dropped. Butterflies began swarming his stomach as he read about the unlucky Scout troop that had been hit by a flash flood. Several had lost their lives in the ferocious waters. Several times, Brady set the magazine down as his nerves got the best of him - but morbid curiosity prodded him to keep picking it up again until he finished the article.

When he set the magazine down for the final time, Brady just sat there for minutes on end, worrying about whether the same thing could happen to them. If it happened to a troop of Scouts, why not us? Do I really want to go? What would Devin and Trey say if I backed out? Would they think I’m a wimp? Of course they would. Maybe I can fake an injury or something. But then I really would be a wimp!

Brady considered his options. What if I try to get everyone to go somewhere else instead? No, that won’t work. We’ve already been planning this thing for months. So what should I do?

There was no easy solution. On the one hand, he wanted to be courageous like his dad. But the idea of swimming across a water hole in the middle of a river, with a full pack on his back made him break out into a cold sweat. Knowing people had drowned on that very same hike only magnified the feeling. A small shiver ran down his spine and he began unconsciously chewing on his thumbnail wondering what to do. The problem plagued him the rest of the day and into the night.

Odd Man out

     With three boys in a club, it is very easy for one of the club members to feel like the odd man out. My cousins' families both purchased matching campers, and they went on several outings together. Whenever I heard about their trips, or saw slides of them, I naturally felt left out. I'm sure my cousins felt the same way too at times. My cousin Darin lived in Utah, while Troy and I both lived in California. I'm sure Darin felt left out much of the time whenever he heard about the activities we did together. I'm sure Troy felt the same way whenever Darin's family stayed at our house. In any case, most people deal with feeling like the "odd man out" or the "third wheel" at some point in their lives - particularly teenagers. I thought it might be a good theme to treat over the course of my books.
     Originally, Devin was the "odd man out" since he lived in a different state. By moving to California, the dynamics of the club would change, and it was a good opportunity to shift that feeling to one of the other club members. Since Devin was dealing with a sibling rivalry, and Brady was struggling with overcoming his fear of water, Trey was the natural choice to deal with this shift. One way I tried to create this dilemma was through my character bios of the three cousins. While all three boys have some similarities, and some differences, I purposely created more similarities between Devin and Brady. I also had Devin's family move to Northland rather than Hillside to create closer proximity in geography as well. I then tried to introduce this dilemma in one version of the Fourth of July narrative I shared last week. Here are the scenes that dealt with this issue:

Trey and Devin exulted about how awesome the hike would be. Unfortunately, Brady somehow managed to change the topic to baseball. Before Trey knew it, his cousins were once again debating who was better – the Angels or the Dodgers.

Devin preferred the Angels, and their All-Star first baseman Rod Carew. Brady’s team was the Dodgers, led by the pudgy Mexican phenom Fernando Valenzuela. Trey had no opinion on the matter. He enjoyed going to ballgames, but he wasn’t a sports addict like his cousins. He preferred spending time in the solitude of nature, or listening to music. He already had an awesome record collection. Unfortunately, his cousins could care less about records – unless they were of the sports variety.

“The Angels have more All-Stars,” pointed out Devin. “We have five. You only have three.”

“That’s because the National League is a lot better,” explained Brady. “It’s harder to get in.”

“Says who?”

“They’ve won eleven All-Star games in a row, haven’t they?” claimed Brady.

“We’ll win this year,” asserted Devin.

As he listened to them argue, Trey looked for opportunities to join in on the conversation. But for the most part, he just listened - growing more bored by the minute. After a while, it seemed as if they’d completely forgotten that he was there at all. Although he should have been right in the middle of all the DTB's activities, recently he felt as if he were on the outside looking in. And if Devin’s family moved to Northland, that feeling would only grow more and more pronounced.

As he sat listening to them, Trey found himself half wishing that Brady would chicken out of going on the hike. At least then he wouldn’t have to worry about being cut out of the conversation. Of course, as soon as he realized what he was doing, Trey chastised himself for being so selfish.

Suddenly Trey had a brilliant idea. He went to his room and found the package of fireworks his friend Jeff had brought back from Mexico. It had a wide assortment of firecrackers, including rockets, Roman candles, and flowers.

His conscience was already reminding him that the county had banned fireworks, but Trey didn’t want them to go to waste - especially since it was a surefire way to get the conversation off sports for a while. He tried to soothe his conscience by telling himself that his dad had let them use the sparklers.

Maybe it’s just illegal to sell them here, Trey justified. That made sense, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. He found his jacket, stuffed in the back of his closet, and put it on – carefully concealing the fireworks inside. Then he rejoined his cousins.

“Where’d you go?” asked Devin.

“I had to get something out of my room,” answered Trey.

“Your jacket?” asked Devin, looking at Trey as if he were crazy.

“Let’s go outside,” Trey said softly. There were too many people nearby to explain what he had in mind.

Devin and Brady looked at each other with puzzled looks before following him out back. As soon as they were out of sight of the adults congregated in the living room, Trey unzipped his jacket and pulled out the package of fireworks.
##

After everyone had left, Trey’s parents sent the girls to get ready for bed. Trey tried to follow, but his dad said, “And just where do you think you’re going?”

“To bed,” Trey replied innocently. “As you always say, ‘Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.’”

“Well, you obviously could use some more wisdom,” his dad agreed, “so you’ll be going to bed early this whole week, and getting up early too - to get yard work done while it’s cool out. If you haven’t guessed, you’re grounded.”

“For a whole week?” exclaimed Trey, feigning shock. It was actually exactly what he suspected, but he hoped to bargain for a lighter sentence.

“Just be grateful it’s not two,” his mom added. “Or you’d miss the hike too.”

Trey gulped. “Okay,” he agreed quickly. “I’m sorry.” He bowed his head and contritely headed for bed, hoping to get away without the lecture he knew was coming.

“We’re not done yet,” his dad announced.

Trey grimaced and turned back to face his parents.

“Sit down.” Trey sat and watched as his dad organized his thoughts. Finally he looked Trey in the eye and asked, “What on earth were you thinking? Didn’t you know how dangerous that was?”

“Everyone shoots off fireworks on the 4^th of July. That’s what you’re supposed to do. It’s fun!” exclaimed Trey in frustration.

“The rest of us didn’t shoot any off, and we had fun.”

“You’re the one who brought out the sparklers,” Trey reminded him.

“That’s different.”

“How is it different?” demanded Trey.

“They’re a lot safer than real fireworks for one thing,” retorted his dad. “And besides, we didn’t go sneaking off to the fields to use them either.”

“You just don’t understand,” murmured Trey. “It’s different when you’re the odd man out.”

“Odd man out?” asked his mom in confusion. “What do you mean by that?”

“You know,” Trey paused, trying to figure out just how to say what he’d been feeling. “Lately, when Devin and Brady are together, it’s like I don’t fit in anymore.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, he and Brady are always talking about baseball, or basketball, or football. Sometimes they get so caught up in arguing about whose team is better, or whatever, that they forget that I’m even there!” Trey vented.

“So? Join in on the conversation then,” suggested his mom.

Trey sighed. “I tried!” he exclaimed. “But when I said that Steve Garvey was my favorite Dodger, Devin laughed at me and said that Garvey wasn’t even on the Dodgers anymore. So I just shut up and listened.”

“What’s that have to do with the firecrackers?” his dad wondered.

“Well, it was something we could all do together,” Trey replied.

His dad nodded his head slowly, with a distant look in his eye. Then he looked at Trey and said, “Well, believe it or not, I understand how you feel. Growing up, I didn’t have many friends outside of my brothers. And sometimes I went out of my way to fit in too.”

Trey was surprised. His dad had never talked like this before.

“But you know what I learned?” He paused and Trey shook his head. “I learned that true friends don’t have to try and impress each other to prove their worth. Instead, they accept each other for who they are, despite their differences. If you stay true to yourself, to your values, then you’ll be much happier than if you try to do something dumb just to fit in.”

Trey bowed his head in shame. He knew it was a stupid thing to do. “I’m sorry,” he said contritely. “I guess my little stunt really backfired on me, didn’t it?”

Despite their anger, Trey’s parents both smirked at his pun. “Get to bed!” growled his dad. Trey didn’t have to be told twice.

Patriotic Fire

As I've mentioned before, the Narrows Escape has gone through several extensive revisions over the years. Probably the most drastic changes have occurred at the beginning of the book as I tried to determine how the novel should begin. Before finally settling on the current format, I had a couple of chapters before the family reunion. Chapter One was called "Patriotic Fire." It's purpose was to start the novel off with a bang. Once I changed the prologue to the current version, I decided to cut the first couple of chapters and go straight to the reunion. In any case, I saved it among my "DTB clips." Here it is:
 

Summer 1983

“We’re moving to California!” announced Devin, as soon as Brady’s family arrived. They were at Trey’s house for a Fourth of July party.

“Awesome!” exclaimed Brady. “When?”

“Later this summer. My dad found out last night that he got the counseling job at Hillside High.”

“So you’re moving to Hillside?” asked Brady, sounding a little less enthusiastic.

“Yeah, isn’t that great?” asked Trey, whose family lived in Hillside.

“I guess so,” said Brady. “Why don’t you move to Northland instead?” Northland was where Brady’s family lived.

“What does it matter? They’re right next to each other,” observed Devin.

“Cause then you guys will get to go to junior high together and I’ll be all by myself,” explained Brady.

“Don’t worry, we’ll invite you to all the Hillside victory parties every time we beat Northland,” teased Trey.

“I’m going to Prospector Junior,” Brady informed them as the three boys plopped down onto beanbags in Trey’s bedroom.

“Look what I got!” Devin declared. He opened the paper bag full of firecrackers and held it out so that his cousins to see.

“Where’d you get those?” asked Trey as he and Brady gathered around the bag to see.

“My friends and I bought a whole bunch for really cheap last summer,” Devin beamed.

“Aren’t those illegal?” Brady asked nervously.

“How can they be illegal?” asked Devin indignantly. “We set them off every year.”

“They banned them here because of the fire danger,” said Trey glumly.

“That’s stupid!” Devin declared. “In Utah we used to shoot them off all the time!”

“Well, welcome to California,” Trey stated.

“This is so dumb,” he complained, crumpling the bag shut again and plopping down on Trey’s bed. “So what are we supposed to do?”

“We can still do the firecrackers,” Trey said conspiratorially, lowering his voice after checking to see that his door was shut tight. “We just have to make sure no one finds out.”

“Why don’t we just go play games with the rest of kids,” suggested Brady, tugging at the bill of his Dodger cap.

“They’re playing Duck, Duck, Goose,” declared Devin derisively. “Come on, let’s go have some fun!”

“I don’t know,” hedged Brady.

“What’s the big deal?” asked Trey. “It’s not like they’re going to arrest us or anything. In fact, I think it’s only illegal to sell fireworks here.”

“Besides, banning fireworks on the Fourth of July is un-American!” declared Devin. He had spent his hard earned money to buy the firecrackers – legally – and he didn’t want them to just go to waste.

Brady didn’t answer. He just chewed his lip and furrowed his brow.

“Come on, let’s just go ourselves,” urged Devin, turning to Trey. “I guess he’s too chicken.”

“I’m not chicken!” said Brady defiantly.

“Let’s hurry then!” encouraged Trey. He cracked open the door and peeked into the hall. “The coast is clear,” he whispered back with a grin.

Devin stuffed the bag under his shirt, and folded his arms over it. It still bulged out, so he made sure he tagged along in Trey’s shadow as they casually walked past their family members and out the back door.

As soon as they were outside, Trey headed for the back wall. “Come on!” he urged.

“Where are we going?” asked Brady.

“To the fields,” said Trey. Trey’s family lived in the foothills of the San Bernadino Mountains; and even though new housing tracts were going up all over southern California, the large orange grove behind his house was still untouched. Beyond that open fields and hills spread all the way to the base of the mountains. The three boys had spent many summer afternoons over the years hiking in the grove and fields and knew them well.

“Wouldn’t it be safer to set them off in the street?” asked Brady, hesitating again.

“Nope. If we get caught, my dad’ll kill me,” explained Trey, hopping over the wall. “This way, if anyone asks where we were, we can honestly say we went for a walk.”

“Good idea,” agreed Devin, pulling himself up and over. He cast a glance back at the house to make sure no one was watching before dropping down on the other side.

“But what about the fire hazard?” asked Brady, following his cousins over the wall.

“Good grief, you worry as much as your mother,” snapped Devin in a condescending tone. He wanted Brady to come with them, but not if he was going to make them feel guilty the whole time. Luckily the comment had the desired effect. Brady immediately snapped his mouth shut, and didn’t say anything more as they walked through the orange trees.

When they got clear of the grove, Trey led them to a flat, mostly dirt area, and the three boys quickly cleared away the tall weeds in a six-foot radius. Then Devin opened the bag and pulled out a small rocket.

Taking one last look around to make sure they were alone, Devin lit the wick and hurried back to where his cousins waited. The rocket shot up, flaring brightly, before gravity pulled it back to Earth. It was awesome!

“Cool!” shouted Brady enthusiastically, allowing Devin to breath easier.

“Do you want to light the next one?” offered Devin.

“Nah, I’ll just watch,” answered Brady. He still looked uncomfortable about the whole thing, so just Devin and Trey took turns lighting them off.

After the rockets were gone, they tried out the Roman candles. Even though they were in the middle of nowhere, Devin caught himself looking over his shoulder from time to time to make sure no one was around. Although he tried to convince himself that the fireworks ban was unfair, Devin still felt guilty. But not guilty enough to stop.

Next up were the flowers. They were still some of Devin’s favorites. He loved how they danced around the ground, changing colors from yellow to pink to green to yellow again, before flaming out.

All too soon, though, the fireworks were almost gone.

“Last one, do you want it?” asked Devin, offering the small firecracker to Brady. If Brady would just join in on the fun, maybe he wouldn’t feel so guilty.

Brady looked at it for a second before making up his mind. He finally took it and lit the wick. Then he hurriedly dropped it to the ground.

At first it just lay there with a long, yellow flame shooting out. Brady kicked it with his foot, and it started hopping around like a boy with his pants on fire. Unfortunately, it skipped toward the edge of the clearing and into the dry brush. The three boys rushed to retrieve it, but it was too late. The brush had already caught fire!

“Oh no!” yelled Devin, as the small flames quickly spread from one dry weed to the next. He reached down to grab the offending firework. It had stopped dancing, but was still flaming. Unfortunately his brain must have stopped functioning, because he forgot how hot it would be. A second later, he was rudely reminded.

“Yeeooow!” Reflexively, he dropped the still flaming firework into the brush again and stuck his scorched fingers in his mouth for relief. Trey began kicking dirt on the spreading flames, so Devin joined in; but Brady turned and ran towards the house.

“Wait! Where are you going?” called Devin. They needed to put out the fire before anyone found out.

“To get help!” Brady yelled over his shoulder.

“No wait! Help us put it out!” Devin shouted. “Come back!” But Brady kept running.

Frantically, Devin got back to work. The fire still wasn’t very big, but no matter what they did, it continued to spread. “What are we going to do?” he yelled, scooping up handfuls of dirt and tossing it on the fire. The problem they faced now was that the flames were moving further away from the dirt supply.

“I don’t know!” answered Trey. “It just keeps growing!”

Just as they were getting ready to abandon their efforts, Shane burst out from the orange groves. Two pool towels were slung over his shoulders, flapping behind him like a double cape, as Shane swooped in to save the day.

Shane was at their side in seconds, and tossed one of the wet towels to Trey. Then he began beating the flames near Devin with the other. Devin continued to toss dirt, and was heartened to see that their efforts were now making progress. Within a minute, the flames were nearly extinguished.

As they stamped out the last of the flames, Devin began wondering if they could possibly keep the whole incident under wraps. Maybe Brady had only told Shane, and they could convince him not to say anything.

Those hopes were dashed when he heard his dad yell, “Devin Gilbert Allred! What on earth happened out here?”

Devin turned to see his father and uncles rushing towards them – and they didn’t look too happy. Devin gulped. They were busted!

Trey's character bio

Marvin Trey Allred (Trey)

Novel: The Narrows Escape Time & Setting: Summer 1983

Birth date/place: April 24, 1971; Ontario, CA

Married: no

Home(s): Hillside, CA (since 1971)

Hair: dark brown, straight Eyes: brown Facial: oval, strong jaw

Weight: Height: Build: tall, thin, lanky Skin tone: tan

Unique Physical Characteristic: left-handed; large birthmark (brown blotch) above left knee (rarely wears shorts)

General Health: healthy

Positive traits: observant, creative, musically inclined (instrumental), realistic, determined, funny, family oriented, intelligent, smooth dancer, animated, handsome, polite (especially to adults), patient

Negative traits: sarcastic with family & close friends, clumsy when out of rhythm, doesn't have good study habits (procrastinates) because academics come naturally, not into sports, gets motion sickness

Favorites: Color: red Food: spaghetti Drink: 7-Up

Music: soft rock (Beach Boys, Police), jazz, classical Literature: Lord of the Rings, Hardy Boys Movies: Star Wars (eventually replaced by the Princess Bride)

Clothing: preppy – polo shirt, jeans, penny loafers, argyle socks, rarely wears shorts

Hobbies/Interests: playing the saxophone & guitar (receives for Christmas '83), collects cassette tapes and records of favorite groups, band class, photography, hiking, camping (prefers campers to tents), family history, amusement parks, girls, used to collect Star Wars figures, Denver Broncos (but only because his uncle used to play for them)

Education: attended Viewpoint Elementary school; Will attend Hillside Jr. High; joins concert band and jazz band; honors student – 4.2 GPA

Religion: LDS

Financial status: sometimes asked to babysit when his sisters are unavailable

Politics: Independent/Republican

Father: Marvin career: French teacher Hillside HS birthday: 8/26/42 car: Mustard yellow ford truck (doubles for camper)

Mother: Sandy career: homemaker (elementary school sub) birthday: 4/4/42 car: White 1980 Lincoln Town Car

Siblings: Amber (12/29/67), Elizabeth “Liz” (3/20/73)

Pets: dog (Scooby-Doo, black mix breed with brown paws); goldfish (backyard pond)

Home life: happy, has very own room, has good relationship with his sisters

Friends: Devin & Brady (cousins); Jeff Dishman

Favorite possessions: saxophone/guitar

Car: no

Greatest accomplishment: Citizen of the Year Award (6^th grade)

Greatest regret: Not being able to finish the Narrows hike

Short term goals: wants to fit in socially, wants to lead Jazz band to #1 ranking in CA

Long term goals: wants to be a musician or doctor

Fears: sharks, heights (but won't admit it)

Worst problem: often called a “nerd” in elementary school because he was usually the teacher's pet

Secrets: undisclosed

Philosophy: Family first

How changing: he is starting to become interested in girls

Influenced by (Heroes): family, Spencer W. Kimball (distant relative), Donnie Osmond

What does this character want more than anything and why? He wants to fit in and be accepted by his peers. He often feels out of place – especially since he is the only boy in his family and his cousins each have brothers. Also, in elementary school, some of the kids called him “Trey the Nerd” because he was always popular with the teachers and excelled academically.

If you were meeting this character for the first time, what would strike you most about him/her? His easy going nature and quick wit

Why will the reader care about this character? He is charismatic.

Why is this character in the story? He is one of the three protagonists.

Write a diary entry for this character (entry into the novel): Today was the last day of school! Jeff and I are going to have a lot of fun this summer – swimming, listening to music, maybe starting a band. Hey, and in a couple of weeks is the Allred family reunion. It's going to be so much fun. Devin's family will be there and he can tell us all about what happened to his house. It was destroyed in a mud slide! And after the reunion, we get to hike the Narrows in Zion National Park. It is going to be so much fun! Uncle Darrell showed us the slides from when he took his Scouts. They were so awesome! I can't wait to see it for myself. I better take a roll of 36 shots for my camera or I'll run out for sure.

Devin's Character bio

Devin Gilbert Allred

Novel: The Narrows Escape Time & Setting: Summer 1983

Birth date/place: December 24, 1970; St. Paul, Minnesota

Married: no

Homes: St. Paul, MN (1970-1973); Provo, UT (1973-1975); Farmington, UT (1975-1983)

Hair: reddish, blond Eyes: pale blue Facial: oval

Weight: Height: Build: short, small, physically fit Skin tone: fair

Unique Physical Characteristic: a handful of light freckles sprinkled across his cheeks

General Health: good

Positive traits: courageous, tries to be a leader, likes challenges, adventurous, deceptively athletic, average musical ability, nostalgic, good at fixing things (particularly electronics), ambitious

Negative traits: overly competitive (especially with Shane), short fuse, jealous of Shane, impatient, punishes himself for failures, avoids crying or anything else that makes him look like a kid

Favorites: Color: purple Food: hamburgers Drink: Hawaiian Punch

Music: Beach Boys, Jazz (only because of the basketball team, but never listens to it)

Literature: Hardy Boys, Sports Illustrated Movies: Star Wars, Indiana Jones

Clothing: casual (T-shirt, jeans, shorts, tennis shoes, baseball cap occasionally)

Hobbies/Interests: collects sports cards (especially football and basketball), and Star Wars action figures (but is beginning to think he’s too old for them); likes to watch football and basketball (Jazz, Celtics (Ainge), Broncos, Angels, BYU); hiking and camping; games (Risk, Monopoly, etc.); starting to notice girls; amusements parks; the beach; computers & electronics

Education: Will attend Prospector Jr. High; wants to play on basketball team; 3.0 GPA

Religion: LDS

Financial status: does paper route, mows lawns to earn extra money

Politics: Republican (uninterested)

Father: Arthur career: HS counselor (Northland HS) birthday: 2/18/45 car: blue Dodge truck (doubles for camper)

Mother: Jen career: homemaker (audiologist) birthday: 9/7/47 car: maroon station wagon

Siblings: Shane (6/13/69), Kendal (9/25/74), Olivia & Emily (8/1/79)

Pets: dog (Mr. T – because of black stripe down middle of white head)

Home life: pleasant; shares room with Shane, but both boys want their own room; competitiveness between boys sometimes causes contention

Friends: Trey & Brady (cousins); Kevin (Utah)

Favorite possessions: autographed Steve Young card

Car: no

Greatest accomplishment: helps rescue his brother in Virgin Narrows

Greatest regret: too small to play football, hampers basketball development

Short term goals: wants to be recognized for his own accomplishments

Long term goals: wants to be a pro athlete

Fears: failure

Worst problem: always overshadowed by Shane; loses temper quickly

Secrets: confidential for now

Philosophy: Be a winner

How changing: Has to adjust to new environment (CA), relationship with Shane

Influenced by (Heroes): family and friends – particularly Shane (though he'd never admit it), Trey & Brady, and his Grandpa (named after him); (John Stockton, Karl Malone, Steve Young, Jon Keyworth, Spencer W. Kimball)

What does this character want more than anything and why? Devin wants to be recognized for his own accomplishments (not known as Shane's younger brother).

If you were meeting this character for the first time, what would strike you most about him/her? His competitiveness

Why will the reader care about this character? He is easy to identify with. He has good intentions, but has to overcome obstacles to accomplish them.

Why is this character in the story? He is the protagonist.

Write a diary entry for this character (entry into the novel): Our house was destroyed today by a mudslide. We were barely able to evacuate in time! I helped my mom take our stuff to the school, and took care of Kendal and Emily. Shane went back to help my dad and Olivia, who were stuck inside the house when the mud smashed into it. When they finally got back, some TV reporter heard about it and interviewed Shane on TV. They treated him like some kind of hero even though it was Dad who saved Olivia. Anyways, we're going to have to move. The house is ruined. Hopefully we can move to California near Trey and Brady. I can't wait until the reunion to tell them all about it! For now we have to sleep here at the school on the gym floor. At least they canceled school for the last couple of weeks!

Uncle Marvin's cooking

When doing revisions of a manuscript, you need to make sure that any changes you make are consistent throughout the manuscript. For example, when I removed the section about the obstacle course, I had to go back and remove any reference to Aunt Sandy's broken arms throughout the book. I also had to remove a small scene about Uncle Marvin's cooking that takes place when he and Aunt Sandy return from the hospital. Although the scene had little to do with the plot, it was one of the clearest examples of Trey's sense of humor, and that of his family in general. Still, it no longer fit, and had to go. Here it is:

That evening, as the family assembled around the fire pit, Uncle Darrell tried to get a campfire program going, but nobody else seemed to be in the mood. Instead, the conversation once again revolved around Aunt Sandy's unscheduled trip.

"I hope she's okay!" mumbled Liz.

"She'll be all right," Amber assured her. "She's recovered from all her other broken arms just fine."

"How many has she had?" asked Devin.

"Three or four," said Amber. "She's never been known for her sense of balance."

Suddenly, Devin heard the van pulling up. Trey was the first one up. He grabbed his crutches and struggled to his feet and began limping toward the van the best he could. He was quickly outdistanced by the others – including Devin.

When the van stopped, Uncle Marvin helped Aunt Sandy out as the rest of the family crowded around to see how she was. She stood in the middle of the crowd with both of her arms in casts, held by two slings draped around her neck, and an embarrassed smile on her face.

After she assured everyone that she was doing okay, Uncle Darrell took a deep breath and asked the dreaded question that was on all of their minds. "Are you going to be heading back to California?"

"No, we're staying," she replied. Devin breathed a sigh of relief – not just because they’d be staying, but also because it meant she would be fine.

Uncle Marvin shrugged, "I told her it would be fine with me if we left early, but she insisted on staying. At first the doctor wasn't too happy about that – especially since it was the second time he’d seen me today - but then he noted that it might keep her from doing too much around the house. She's on strict orders to relax, and not do anything above the absolute minimum."

"I guess that means you get to do all the cooking," she teased.

"Oh, no!" groaned Trey. He turned to his cousins and asked, "Can I eat with you guys this trip?"

"Come to think of it, can I join you too?" his mother chimed in.

Everyone laughed, and Devin was glad to see that Aunt Sandy was back to her normal, happy self.

“Maybe the rest of us should eat with you too,” suggested Amber. “After all, we don’t need to make any more trips to the hospital.”

“My cooking isn’t that bad,” protested Uncle Marvin, scratching his beard.

“Wanna bet?” remarked Liz. “You can’t cook toast without burning it.”

“But I make a mean bowl of cereal,” he replied with a wink.

Obstacle Course

 As I was preparing by final version of The Narrows Escape before publication, I had a colleague at work (an English teacher) read through it to help me catch any typos. One of his suggestions was to cut down the reunion section a bit and get to the hike faster. After reading through it again, I decided to cut one of my favorite scenes - the Obstacle Course. Although it is humorous, and loosely based on actual events, it really did little to further the plot. And although it helped with character development, it really was superfluous development. In reality, it could only be fully appreciated by someone associated with one of my favorite people in the world - my Aunt Sally. In any case, it was the last cut. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

“Hear ye! Hear ye! The obstacle course is now open!” announced Shane, once they’d heard Trey’s update.

Devin looked over at Trey, who frowned at his ankle. Trey wouldn’t be able to participate, but Devin hoped he wouldn’t hold it against him and Brady if they did. Usually they did everything together, but he didn’t want Trey’s injury to ruin the reunion for the rest of them.

“You guys go ahead. I’ll just sit and watch,” suggested Trey.

“Are you sure?” asked Brady hesitantly.

“Yeah, I need to rest it anyway,” said Trey.

Devin breathed a sigh of relief, and hurried with Brady to join the others who were lining up to try out the challenging course. But before anyone was allowed to run it, Uncle Darrell insisted on checking it for safety.

“My dad and I already tested it,” asserted Shane.

“Well, we need to be one hundred percent certain that it’s safe,” announced Uncle Darrell. He looked at Trey and added, “We don’t need any more injuries.”

“It’s also a good excuse to cut to the front of the line,” added Uncle Rob with a wink. “I better help ‘check it out’ too.”

After giving their stamp of approval, Uncle Darrell got out his stopwatch, and began timing the participants as they ran through the course. Aunt Doris, Brady’s mom, stood nearby shouting words of encouragement to each and every participant, and then recording their scores on a notepad. The top three winners in each category – child, youth, and adult – would receive awards at the end of the reunion.

After stretching out his muscles and joints, Devin squatted behind the starting line and prepared for his run. When Uncle Darrell yelled "GO!" he sprinted twenty yards and leaped through a hula-hoop hanging a couple of feet off the ground. Next, he climbed up a rope ladder to a suspended platform, six feet high, and swung down to the ground using another rope. He hurtled the water pit, hopped up onto the balancing beam, and walked across. He then rolled under a broomstick two feet off the ground, hopped through five spare tires, and made the fifteen-yard dash for the finish line.

"One minute, twenty-nine point one seconds!" called out Uncle Darrell.

"What place is that?" he gasped, gulping in oxygen.

"First so far," said Aunt Doris.

“All right!” he exclaimed, pumping his fists.

Brady went next, but didn’t even come close to matching Devin’s score after losing precious seconds by falling off the balancing beam.

Then it was Shane’s turn. He ran hard the whole way, and with his longer legs Devin was sure he’d take the lead. But Shane slipped when swinging off the raised platform - and Devin’s heart beat a little faster. Maybe he could win after all!

Shane quickly jumped back to his feet and raced to the finish line without losing much time at all. Once again doubt crept back into Devin’s mind.

“What time?” asked Devin and Shane simultaneously.

"One minute, twenty-eight point nine seconds."

The time mockingly reverberated in Devin's ears. He spat and kicked the ground in frustration. Point two seconds! Shane beat him by two measly tenths of a second. “Can we go again?” he asked after stewing for a few moments.

“Sure,” said Uncle Darrell. “Go as often as you like.”

Devin hurried back to the end of the line. He was going to beat Shane’s time if it took him the rest of the reunion.

Unfortunately, his time kept climbing higher. The harder he pushed himself, the more mistakes he made, and the worse he did.

"Mom, are you going to try it?" inquired Trey hopefully.

"I might," Aunt Sandy hedged as she eyed the course warily. She had short, straight dark hair – styled in a bob-cut. Only Trey had inherited her naturally tan skin, to the envy of his sisters (who were almost as white as the rest of the Allreds). At five feet eleven, she was easily the tallest of the aunts.

"Come on Aunt Sandy, you can do it!" urged Shane.

"I'll go if you do," suggested Devin’s mom, Jen, to her sister-in-law.

As Aunt Sandy considered the proposal, Uncle Marvin stepped in, “You know, that might not be such a good idea. You remember what happened the last time you tried to run one of these things don’t you?”

"You think I’m going to break my arm again?" she asked.

“Well, you never know,” he said uncomfortably.

Aunt Sandy had a natural cheery disposition, but she did have one shortcoming. She could be clumsy at times. She was also determined to prove her husband wrong.

“I’ll do it,” Aunt Sandy said. She turned to Devin’s mom and added, “As long as you go first.”

"Okay," Devin’s mom agreed. She had curly, brown hair and green eyes. She was bubbly and spry, and had a smile that could light up a room all by itself. She got set and, on Uncle Darrell’s mark, set off on a trip through the course while all the kids cheered her on. She did great, beating her husband’s score by almost two seconds.

When Uncle Randy tried to razz him about it, Devin’s dad pointed out that she’d beaten his score too. “Point taken,” replied Randy rather humbly.

After his mom finished, Aunt Sandy got set.

“Are you ready?” asked Uncle Darrell.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she said, sounding a little nervous.

“You can do it, Aunt Sandy!” shouted several cousins.

“Go!” shouted Uncle Darrell.

She ran hard to the hula-hoop, then came to a complete halt and carefully stepped through. Then she headed to the rope ladder. She slowly climbed it, making sure of each step before proceeding to the next. But once up, she looked like she wanted to get right back down.

Devin knew that Aunt Sandy had an extreme fear of heights – even relatively short ones like this. A nervous scowl replaced the double-dimpled smile that usually graced her face; but there was also a look of determination.

She sat down on the edge of the platform, and used the rope to help her make the short jump down. When she hit the ground, she collapsed in a small heap. Devin held his breath and saw Uncle Marvin take a few steps forward, but Aunt Sandy got right back up again and plodded on.

She sloshed through the water pit and straddled the balance beam. Rather than walk across it, she wisely decided to scoot. Once down, she hurried over to the low bar, and slowly crawled under it.

When she climbed to her feet, she rushed over to the tires, and cautiously hopped through them – first one, then another. The cheers rose as she passed each tire. As she reached the last tire, and looked up to assess the final fifteen yards, the cheers reached a crescendo as everyone heartily congratulated her on her feat.

As she raised her foot from the last tire, it caught on the rim. The cheers vanished into a collective gasp as she toppled forward. She landed hard on both arms, shrieked, and writhed in pain, clutching her arms to her chest.

"Are you okay?" yelled several family members as they quickly formed a circle around Aunt Sandy. Devin, who had been waiting patiently for yet another shot at Shane’s mark, was one of the first to reach her.

"No!" she wailed. "I'm not okay!"

"Get the first aid kit!" Uncle Marvin ordered. He then implored her to lie still so that he could examine her arms. She lay in a fetal position and initially resisted his pleas.

“It’s going to hurt,” she complained.

“Maybe, but it’ll be worse if we don’t take care of it,” her husband explained.

After some coaxing, she finally uncurled herself, taking care not to move her arms. Uncle Marvin gingerly touched her swelling left arm and she shrieked in response. She rolled away from him again before allowing him another look. He touched her right arm this time, with the same result.

"I think they’re both broken," he announced.

"I could have told you that!" she retorted.

As soon as Amber returned with the first aid kit, Uncle Marvin and Uncle Darrell bound up her arms with makeshift splints. When the splints were in place, the two men helped her into the van for yet another trip to Cedar City.

As Uncle Marvin drove away, ten different conversations broke out – all about Aunt Sandy. Devin listened for a couple minutes, but was anxious to run the course again. Shane had shaved another two seconds off his time, but Devin was still determined to beat it.

“Are you ready for the next contestant?” he asked Uncle Darrell. His uncle looked at him as if he’d asked for a thousand dollars.

“There aren’t going to be any more contestants!” Aunt Doris announced. “One accident’s enough! We need to tear it down right now before anyone else gets hurt.”

“But Mom!” griped Brady. “It’s fun!”

“How can you even consider running it again after what happened to your aunt?”

“That was an accident,” stated Brady. “We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“That’s right. And we’ll make sure of it by taking it down. Right Darrell?”

“I suppose,” he agreed reluctantly. “Come on guys; let’s take care of it right now, before one of the little kids gets hurt.”

Devin was steamed. His chance to beat Shane was gone, just like that. Shane probably planned it this way, he silently accused. He’s the one who encouraged her to run it.

He glanced over and saw Trey sitting morosely on a boulder and suddenly felt guilty for his attitude. “I’m sure she’ll be okay,” Devin assured him.

“It’s my fault,” muttered Trey, heaving a great sigh. “I shouldn’t have suggested that she try it.”

“You can’t blame yourself,” Devin argued. “We all encouraged her.”

“Yeah, but now she’s got two broken arms. As soon as she gets out of the hospital, we’ll be going home for sure.”

Devin hadn’t thought about that. It was bad enough that Trey couldn’t participate in most of the activities; but if Trey’s family went home, Uncle Darrell would probably cancel the Narrows trip. This reunion was just going from bad to worse.