TEXT:  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   FICTION: 
                                                                      TROUBLE IN THE BASEMENT 
   
   
   
                                        WRITTEN BY: 
   
                                        JOHN D. PARKER 
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 2 
   
   
   
  Hero KidsTM copyright 2019 Justin Halliday 
   
  Hero Kids and Hero Forge Games 
  are trademarks of Justin Halliday 
   
  herokidsrpg.blogspot.com 
  heroforgegames.com 
   
  Hero Kids designed and written by Justin Halliday 
   
  Hero Kids cover art by Eric Quigley www.ericquigley.com 
  Internal art by Eric Quigley, John D. Parker,  
  Pearson Scott Foresman (public domain), and CC0 contributors. 
   
  Printing Authorization: 
  This PDF document may be printed for personal use. 
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 3 
  Hero Kids Fiction 
  Trouble in the Basement is the first in what we hope to 
  be a series of fictional adventures for Hero Kids. 
   
  This is not a roleplaying adventure for your young 
  heroes to play, but a story to read (or listen to) and 
  enjoy. The story is in a relatively new genre called 
  LitRPG—a story that includes obvious elements from 
  the roleplaying game on which it is based. 
  Introduction 
  This short story introduces the reader to a few of the 
  young heroes in Rivenshore and the types of 
  adventures they have. The adventure takes place in 
  the basement of the Block and Tackle Tavern and the 
  newly discovered caves leading out from it. 
   
  Although this story is loosely based on, and is a 
  prelude to, the Basement O' Rats adventure available 
  with the Hero Kids core system, it should not ruin that 
  adventure for your young heroes. If you read this to 
  them (or they read it themselves) before playing the 
  adventure, it should spark their imagination and 
  desire to find out for themselves what's going on 
  beneath the Block and Tackle Tavern. Reading this 
  story after playing the adventure will provide the 
  excitement of seeing how the bigger story fits together 
  and to compare experiences.  
   
  We have tried to give a sample of the Hero Kids system 
  and roleplaying, while changing up the story and 
  leaving options to the readers' imaginations (like how 
  they might have used food in their inventory). 
   
  It is our intention and hope that this short story 
  encourages young heroes to experience adventures 
  for themselves, turn those adventures into their own 
  stories, and to tell those stories to others. 
   
   
  This story is brought to you by John D. Parker and 
  Opie Games. Please let us know your comments in the 
  reviews on DriveThruRPG.com where you purchased 
  this product or in the Hero Kids Community Facebook 
  Page. Your feedback will help us know if you want 
  more of these fictionalized adventures. 
   
  If the response is good, we may even be able to hire an 
  illustrator for future projects! 
   
  Reader Level Note 
   Trouble in the Basement is about 5500 words  
  (about half the length of a “chapter book”). 
  Here is the readability information: 
  Flesch Reading Ease = 89.6 
  Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level = 3.1. 
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 4 
  TROUBLE IN THE 
  BASEMENT 
  Just Another Bump in the Road 
  You have been riding in the back of the wagon all day. 
  Your whole body aches from bouncing on the hard 
  wooden seat. Worse, you are bored from staring at the 
  endless trees as you go by.  
   
   
   
  Finally, there is a break in the trees. The road leads 
  into the center of a small village. Your parents stop the 
  wagon in front of a well at the center of the town 
  square. You get down to stretch your cramped 
  muscles and rub your sore rump. Your parents fill the 
  water jugs and a bucket for your thirsty horse. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 5 
  Welcome to Rivenshore 
  While you are standing there brushing the dust off, a 
  boy and a girl run out of the inn across the square. 
  They are laughing and chatting and talking at the 
  same time, like kids your age often do. When they see 
  you, they stop everything. 
   
  They head straight toward you. Their smiles tell you 
  that they are friendly, but you aren’t sure what to 
  think. Their faces are smudged with dirt and their 
  clothes are torn. They look worse than you feel. 
   
  The boy greets you with a big smile, "Hi, I'm Jordan. 
  This is my friend Alissa."  
   
  He might have seen you looking funny at his torn 
  clothes, because he says, "We just had the fight of our 
  lives…" 
   
  The girl, Alissa, you think it was, jumps in, "Oh, hey! 
  You must be new around here. We don't get many 
  visitors. Welcome to Rivenshore. I know it looks like a 
  boring little village…" 
   
  Jordan cuts her off, "…in the middle of the nowhere…" 
   
  Alissa continues, "…but we have a lot of fun here. 
  Fishing in the river. Adventuring in the woods. 
  Practicing our survival skills…" 
   
  Jordan says, "But I'm sure that's not what you want to 
  know. You're still thinking about that fight I was 
  talking about…" 
   
  And he is right, you barely heard anything they said 
  about the town. They look like they were just in a fight 
  for their lives. 
   
  Jordan sees the excitement in your eyes. He makes a 
  big wink at Alissa and says, "Seeee. Everyone wants to 
  know about the fighting." He leans his sword against 
  the side of the well… and it is only now that you 
  realize… he has a sword! 
   
  Alissa motions for you to sit on a bench there, and 
  when you do, she sits down next to you. Jordan sits 
  down on the edge of the well and says in a hoarse 
  whisper, "This is what happened. " 
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 6 
  A Friend in Need 
  Jordan and Alissa finally had a day off from their 
  chores and were going fishing. They stopped by the 
  Block and Tackle Tavern where their young friend 
  Roger lives and works. Mostly works, they think. His 
  parents own the inn, and it is a big place for the three 
  of them to manage.  
   
  When they found him, Roger was sitting on the front 
  step with his arms crossed over his knees and his head 
  buried in both. 
   
  As they walked up to him, Jordan said, "Hey Roger, do 
  you want to go fishing with us?" 
   
  Roger kept his head down and said what sounded like, 
  "I can't." His voice was weak. Maybe it was just 
  muffled in his arms. 
   
  Alissa elbowed Jordan, "Hey Roger? Are you OK?" 
  When Roger looked up, they saw where tears had 
  streaked his dirty face.  
   
  All thoughts of fishing were washed away. Alissa just 
  asked softly, "Roger?" 
   
  Roger made a deep sigh and said, "The inn is going to 
  be full in a few days for a wedding. I'll never get my 
  chores done. My mom is already mad because I was 
  goofing around yesterday instead of working." 
   
  "You never goof around, Roger,” said Jordan. “You 
  work all the time." 
   
  Roger said, "Not all the time." 
   
  "Don't worry, Roger,” said Alissa. “We can help." 
   
  Jordan jumped in, "Yeah. We were just goofing around 
  today anyway." At this, Alissa gave him a parent-look. 
  Jordan mouthed, "What?" 
   
  Alissa put her hand on Roger’s shoulder, "Just tell us 
  how we can help." 
   
  "Thanks,” said Roger. “You two are the best. But 
  there's a big problem. Maybe bigger than the three of 
  us." 
   
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 7 
  Something Stinks 
  Roger explained his trouble as they walked into the 
  inn and toward the basement stairs. "Mom is baking 
  bread and I needed to get a sack of flour from the 
  basement.  
   
  When I got down there, I found it in a horrible mess. 
  Someone or something knocked a bunch of the barrels 
  over. I was going to ask my parents for help, but they 
  have a ton of work to do already. Besides, my mom 
  will think I was just goofing around down there 
  again." 
   
  Jordan said, "Oh, did you make a mess down there 
  before?" 
   
  Roger said, "Well…" 
   
  Alissa cut in, with another fierce look at Jordan. "Don't 
  worry about it, Roger. We'll help set things straight." 
   
  Jordan got her meaning and lead the way into the 
  stairwell. "Yeah, Roger. Let's get to work." 
   
  Roger followed, carrying a lantern, and Alissa was 
  right behind him. After a few steps down, Jordan 
  slowed. The farther down he got, the worse it smelled. 
  "Pee-yew, Roger. What do you keep down here?" 
   
  Alissa caught a whiff of what Jordan could smell. "Uh, 
  Roger. Don't take this the wrong way, but does it 
  always smell… like this… down here?" 
   
  Roger said, "No! Honest. Just like the barrels getting 
  knocked over. There's something wrong down here." 
   
  "It sure smells like something wrong down here," said 
  Jordan. 
   
  "Maybe something got spilled and is spoiling on the 
  floor," said Alissa. 
   
  Jordan said, "Whatever is rotten down here, was 
  rotten when it came in." 
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 8 
  We're Not Alone 
  As he reached the bottom of the stairs, Jordan heard 
  something in the basement. But they were talking, so 
  he didn't hear it very well. "Ssshhh, there's something 
  moving around down here," he said. 
   
  Roger stopped dead in his tracks, half on one step and 
  half in mid-air. Alissa ran into him. Both nearly 
  tumbled down the stairs. The lantern swung wildly in 
  Roger’s grasp. 
   
  "Now I know that smell, said Jordan. “It's the same 
  smell as the rat's nest I found in the barn." 
   
  Roger said quietly, "Uh. Jordan. Let's go back up and 
  get my parents." 
   
  "Come on Roger. Don't be scared. You're bigger than 
  any dumb rat." 
   
  "I don't know about that,” said Roger. “Whatever is 
  down here, it moved some heavy barrels." 
  "You're just scared." 
   
  “Maybe a little,” said Roger. "I don't practice fighting 
  like you do. I have to work here at the inn all the time." 
   
  Alissa wished she were close enough to give Jordan a 
  sharp elbow in the side. "It's OK, Roger. There's three 
  of us. We can see what's wrong and make sure it's 
  safe." She carefully stepped around Roger, holding his 
  arm steady so he didn't drop the lantern. 
   
  "Thanks, Alissa. But maybe I should get my parents." 
   
  " They’re too busy. Remember?” she said. “We don't 
  need to bother them over a few rats." 
   
  "Yeah. We can handle this," said Jordan, as he drew out 
  his sword. 
   
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 9 
  Rats in the Basement 
  Roger saw the flash of the blade in the lantern light. 
  "Why do you need your sword? …If it's just rats…" 
   
  "We just need to be prepared. Right Alissa?" 
   
  Jordan and Alissa sneaked the rest of the way down 
  the stairs. Roger stayed where he was. He was not 
  going to move another inch. The lantern light shone in 
  a rectangular column across the basement floor. 
  Shielded by the stairwell, it didn't do much to light the 
  rest of the room. Especially since there was a tall stack 
  of barrels right at the bottom of the stairs. 
   
  Jordan and Alissa planned their next moves with hand 
  signals. Jordan went to the far end of the stack of 
  barrels. Alissa stepped sideways to the edge of the 
  stack by the stairs. From their new positions they 
  could hear squeaking and chewing. It was rats, all 
  right. 
   
  Alissa whispered, "Sounds like you at the supper table, 
  Jordan." 
   
  "Ssshhh," he said. "Be quiet. They’ll hear you." 
   
  "It's just rats, right?" she said. 
   
  Jordan said, "OK, Roger. Walk slowly down the stairs. 
  Alissa, when we see the rats…" 
   
  And just then the lantern was clear of the stairwell, 
  lighting up the room. 
   
  "Get 'em," said Jordan. He leaped around the barrels. 
  Alissa did the same from her end. They faced each 
  other just ten feet apart. Between them was a rat 
  almost as big as Jordan, eating the contents spilled 
  from a toppled barrel. It stopped chewing to look up 
  at Jordan. It bared its nasty, yellow teeth and 
  screeched. 
   
  Jordan had never seen anything like this before, but 
  his daily training helped him stay calm. He lunged at it 
  with a slashing strike of his sword. The rat tried to 
  duck away from the shining flash of steel but was too 
  slow. Jordan knocked it out in one quick move.  
   
  Jordan grinned at Alissa, ready to brag. "How 'bout…" 
  but he saw something move in the shadows behind 
  her, near the ceiling. "Behind you!" he yelped. 
   
  A giant rat leaped down on Alissa from on top a stack 
  of barrels. Alissa turned to block the attack with her 
  staff, but the rat was already on her. It gave her a 
  horrid bite on the shoulder as it tumbled over her.  
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 10 
  While the rat was on the floor, Jordan attacked it with 
  a slashing strike and knocked it out, too. 
   
  "That's two for you," she said, "but don't count me out 
  yet." 
   
  "Don't worry, I know better than that," he said. "I got 
  that one because of our teamwork. More important, 
  though, are you OK?" 
   
  "Yeah, thanks," she said. "It hurts, but I'm just 
  bruised." 
   
  “I'm sure there's more where those came from," he 
  said. 
   
  "Yeah. Let's go get them." Alissa pointed for Jordan to 
  go around the next stack of barrels one way. She 
  would go around the other. They timed their jump 
  together again. This time they looked all around to 
  make sure they weren't going to get ambushed. Alissa 
  spotted another giant rat. It ran out of a side door from 
  another storage area and right at her.  
   
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 11 
  That's Where They Came In 
  Alissa was quick with her defense. She pointed her 
  staff at it and said, "Sear." The rat only had an instant 
  to see a bright light before being knocked out. 
   
  "Nice,” said Jordan. “That was too easy." 
   
  "Yeah, easy for you to say," she said, pointing at her 
  injured shoulder. "Good thing we caught them 
  snacking." 
   
  They listened for more noise for a few seconds. It was 
  quiet except for Roger's heavy breathing. "Are you OK 
  over there, Roger?" Alissa asked. "Why don't you come 
  over here. We need to find where they’re getting in." 
   
  Roger started walking across the room. "I'm fine." 
  Then he saw Alissa's torn shoulder and got a little 
  wilty in his legs. 
   
  She grabbed his arm to steady him. "I'm fine, Roger." 
  He looked around at the rats on the floor. "What do we 
  do with them?" 
   
  "They’ll be out a while," said Jordan. 
   
  "Yeah, we better keep looking,” added Alissa. “From 
  the looks of this mess, there are more down here." 
   
  They searched around a while and then noticed 
  another rat, hiding behind a barrel. Just as they ran 
  after it, it dashed… right into the floor. The light from 
  the lantern reached the spot just in time to see a gray, 
  ringed tail disappeared through a ragged hole chewed 
  in the floor. 
   
  "You were right, Alissa," said Jordan. "There are more 
  down here. And they know we're coming." 
   
  "I think that rat was hiding out and watching,” she 
  said. “It was spying on us." 
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 12 
  "Don’t be silly,” said Jordan. “These are just big rats. 
  Big rats are as dumb as little rats." 
   
  "Maybe,” she said. “But we better be careful." 
   
  With that, Roger whined something that sounded like 
  he agreed. 
   
  Jordan leaned over the hole and looked down. "Should 
  we drop down after them?" 
   
  "I guess we better," said Alissa. With a nod of her head 
  toward her injured shoulder, she said, "But first, I 
  need to take care of this." She closed her eyes and 
  concentrated for half a minute. Then she touched her 
  shoulder with her other hand. The gash closed and the 
  purple of the bruise started to fade. "OK," she said. 
  "Let's go after them. Are you ready, Roger?" 
   
  They couldn't tell if Roger was trying to say yes or no. 
  He mumbled something as he stared at Alissa's healed 
  shoulder. 
  A Not So Dark Tunnel 
  Jordan listened carefully at the mouth of the hole. "I 
  hear scurrying, but nothing directly below." 
   
  “But how do we get down there,” asked Alissa. 
   
  “I have some rope,” said Roger. He handed a long piece 
  of rope to Alissa. 
   
  “Perfect, Roger,” she said. “You’ll be an adventurer 
  yet.”  
   
  She handed one end to Jordan, who lowered it through 
  the hole. She tied her end to a post and gave it a firm 
  tug. "This will hold," she said. "Let's go." 
   
  Jordan climbed slowly down the rope a bit. And then 
  some more. Good thing it was a long rope. He was 
  about forty feet down before his feet finally found the 
  bottom.  
   
  The floor beneath him felt firm, but he stomped once 
  just to make sure. He looked around quickly and didn't 
  see anything coming at him. He didn't see much of 
  anything, though. His eyes were still used to the bright 
  lantern light, which streamed down in a column 
  around him.  
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 13 
  "Great," he thought, the only thing down here that is 
  perfectly visible is me. He cupped his hands to his 
  mouth and called up in a hushed yell, "OK. Next." 
   
  Roger looked at Alissa. "I'll follow you," he said. 
   
  "You'll have to climb with the lantern," she said. 
  "Unless you want to be left up here in the dark." 
   
  "I can do that," he said. 
   
  It was the first time since they had started this 
  adventure that Roger sounded confident. So, Alissa 
  didn't argue. She grabbed the rope. "See you in a 
  flash," she said as she eased down the rope. When she 
  reached the bottom, she called up like Jordan had, 
  "Your turn, Roger." 
   
  He glided down with one hand on the lantern and one 
  on the rope. He squeezed the rope tightly between his 
  feet to carry his slight weight. Alissa was surprised at 
  how easy he made it look. 
   
  Jordan was watching for movement down a big 
  tunnel. As the lantern light edged past the hole in the 
  ceiling, it filled the cave with bright yellow light. "The 
  tunnel turns to the left," he said. "It looks like there 
  might be a room ahead." 
   
  When Roger's feet were firmly on the floor, Alissa said 
  to him, "Let's dim the light and let our eyes get used to 
  the dark." 
   
  Roger lowered the wick until the lantern just barely 
  stayed lit. 
   
  "Just when I thought I was used to the stink,” said 
  Jordan. “It smells horrible down here. Like we just 
  dropped into the rat's…" 
   
  Alissa cut him off, "Yes, Jordan. We all smell it." 
   
  As their eyes adjusted, Jordan said, "It's weird down 
  here. It isn't as dark as it should be father down the 
  tunnel. Past where the lantern is shining." 
   
  Alissa walked a little ahead down the tunnel, which 
  sloped downward. "Yeah, there's a blue light coming 
  from the walls." 
   
  Jordan rubbed the wall with his hand, then pulled it 
  back quickly, "Yugh. It must be coming from this weird 
  goo." He wiped his hand on his pant leg. 
   
  Alissa looked at the wall carefully. "It's not goo, 
  Jordan. I think it's a fungus. Some fungi glow like this, 
  you know." 
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 14 
  Under his breath, Roger said, "Great. First giant rats 
  and now glowing fungus goo…"  He didn't think he 
  said it loudly enough to be heard, but the closeness of 
  the rock-hard cave walls made the tiniest sounds 
  seem loud. 
   
  Jordan looked back and said, "Yeah, isn't it great!?" 
  Alissa put one finger to her lips and motioned with the 
  other hand for them to catch up to her. 
   
  Jordan whispered to Roger, "They know we're down 
  here, but we don't want to let them know exactly 
  where." He then motioned for Roger to leave the 
  lantern and to follow along. 
   
  Since Jordan was the one with the sword, he took the 
  lead as they sneaked down the tunnel.  
   
  Where the tunnel turned, it opened wider. Eventually, 
  it opened into a cavern about twenty five feet wide.  
   
  Across the cavern, Jordan could see a giant rat 
  climbing up a ten foot cliff to a ledge. There was 
  another tunnel past the ledge. He started to charge at 
  that rat with his sword ready. Just then another rat 
  leaped from behind the wall on the left and bit him on 
  the arm. Hard. 
   
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 15 
  Rats and More Rats 
  The rat that was climbing the cliff turned around and 
  jumped on Jordan. He was still fighting off the rat that 
  ambushed him. The bite from the first rat bruised him. 
  After the attack from the second, he was really hurt. 
   
  Alissa could see the first rat easily. She pointed her 
  staff at it and whispered, "Sear." The bright light that 
  shot from her staff struck the rat right in the head. 
  When the shower of sparks settled, she saw the rat 
  was knocked out cold. 
   
  The searing light beam had surprised Roger in the 
  basement. Down here in the dark cave, it was 
  absolutely amazing. The wall fungus glowed even 
  brighter, as if in agreement. The extra light showed 
  more trouble to come. 
   
  "There's two more rats at the top of the ledge," Roger 
  yelled. 
   
  "Thanks, said Alissa. “I see them now." She moved to 
  where she could get a good shot at either them or the 
  one still on Jordan. 
   
  "They’ll have to wait," said Jordan, wrestling with the 
  rat on top of him. "Until… I'm… Done." He knocked it 
  off, slashed with his sword, and knocked it out. "With 
  this one." 
   
  One of the rats on the ledge jumped down and raced 
  at Alissa. She was still getting ready for her second 
  attack. It lunged at her before she could swing her staff 
  around, and bit her on the leg. This was the second 
  time she had been bit, but she wasn't getting used to 
  it. It hurt.  
   
  Alissa pointed her staff at the rat that still had its teeth 
  sunk into her leg. She gave it a good look at the 
  blinding light from her staff. Sparks showered, the 
  fungus glowed, and another rat lay on the hard floor. 
   
  The other rat on the ledge scurried back and forth, like 
  it wasn't sure what to do. Alissa shot her searing light 
  at it but struck the edge of the ledge instead. The 
  shower of sparks must have helped the rat make up 
  its mind, because it instantly disappeared down the 
  tunnel. 
   
  Jordan stared at the blue glow that now filled the 
  tunnel at the top of the ledge. "Nothing like letting 
  them know we're coming." 
   
  "I don't think we'll be giving them much of a surprise," 
  she said. 
   
  Roger, who had been mostly quiet through all this, 
  said, "Quite the opposite, I'm afraid." 
   
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 16 
  If You Can't Be Quiet, Be Quick 
  As Roger looked at his two friends, his amazement 
  quickly turned to concern. "You two don't look so 
  good," he said. "Alissa, can you do that healing trick 
  again?" 
   
  "You're right, Roger," she said. "We better heal up 
  before we try to take on anymore. But I can only heal 
  so much." 
   
  Jordan was popping a cork out of a little vial. "Don't 
  worry, Alissa," he said. "I have one of those healing 
  potions you made for us." He drank it down and 
  started looking much better right away. 
   
  Alissa touched her leg like she had her shoulder 
  earlier. Like before, the gash closed, and the purple 
  swelling disappeared. 
   
  "Now, to get up that cliff," said Jordan. 
   
  Alissa looked Roger in the eyes while speaking to 
  Jordan, "Maybe you can boost Roger up. He's the 
  lightest." 
   
  "That should work," said Jordan. He was ready to start 
  convincing Roger that it was a good idea. Before he 
  said a word, Roger already had his hand on Jordan's 
  shoulder. He raised his foot in the air, waiting for the 
  boost.  
   
  Jordan and Alissa shared smiles as Jordan lifted Roger 
  up the cliff. Roger couldn't quite reach the top, but he 
  scrambled up anyway. In a flash he was leaning over 
  the edge with his hand lowered, ready to help the next 
  one climb up. 
   
  Jordan held out a short section of rope and said, "I'm 
  the heavy one, so you get to decide. Do you want to 
  boost or haul me up?" 
   
  "Let's go with haul," said Alissa. Then quietly, "I think 
  Roger is stronger than we gave him credit for." 
   
  Jordan handed her the rope then boosted her up to 
  Roger's waiting hand. Between the two of them, Alissa 
  was on top of the ledge before she knew it. She and 
  Roger then lowered the rope down to Jordan and 
  pulled him up. He didn't dangle in mid-air for long.  
   
  "Gee, Roger," he said, "For a little guy, you're a brute." 
  Grinning, Roger said, "Those barrels don't get in and 
  out of the basement on their own." But then, even in 
  the weird blue glow, they could see that he turned a 
  little red. 
   
  “All that hard work is paying off, Roger," said Alissa. 
  Roger kicked at the dirt a bit and Alissa turned away. 
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 17 
  Looking down what was another long tunnel, she said, 
  "Wow. How deep do these tunnels go!?" 
   
  Roger replied, "More like, how deep do these rats go?" 
  But this time, the worry in his voice was almost buried 
  beneath the excitement. 
   
  Jordan faced down the tunnel like he was starting a 
  race. "Well, if you can't be quiet, be quick," he said. 
   
  "Ready,” said Alissa. 
   
  "Set," said Jordan. 
   
  And Roger said, "Go!"  
   
  They charged down the tunnel with their sword and 
  staff… and brute strength, ready to attack. 
  Tracks and More Tracks 
  The three heroes spilled out of the tunnel into another 
  large cavern. They spread out, ready for attacks from 
  all sides… Nothing happened. Except for three panting 
  kids, the room was empty. 
   
  Roger quickly looked at a tunnel to the left, then at 
  another to the right, and then back at the one on the 
  left. "Where did they go?" 
   
  Jordan was already searching the floor for tracks in 
  the dirt. "They’ve been in and out of here a ton," he 
  said. "This is really hard to figure out. Aha! Here. This 
  one set of tracks are from a rat that was running. Like, 
  to save his life, running. It came out of that tunnel," he 
  pointed to the tunnel they had just run out of. "Then it 
  went into that tunnel." He pointed to the tunnel on the 
  right. 
   
  Alissa started toward the second tunnel. "Let's get 
  'em,” she said. “I won't miss this time." 
   
  Jordan gestured with his palm up. "Just a sec." He 
  cupped his hand behind his ear and walked slowly up 
  to the tunnel entrance. After a few seconds, he said, 
  "It's really quiet in there... That's weird. All I hear is 
  something that sounds like water splashing." 
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 18 
  Alissa and Roger copied Jordan and nodded at the 
  same time. It sounded like splashing. 
   
  "What do you make of that splashing sound?" asked 
  Jordan. 
   
  "Hmmm. From the way that sound is echoing through 
  this tunnel, I think this is a zig-zaggy tunnel that leads 
  to a dead end," Alissa said. "They’re waiting for us in 
  there." 
   
  Jordan listened harder. "Wow, that's brilliant. I think 
  you're right." 
   
  Roger nodded. 
   
  With a few hand gestures they made their plan. Jordan 
  would lead and attack the closest rat. Alissa would 
  follow close behind and cover his back. Roger would 
  bring up the rear and block the tunnel, so no rats 
  escaped.  
   
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 19 
  Rat's Bathroom 
  A rat was hiding around the first blind corner and 
  attacked Jordan with a loud squeak. Jordan was 
  prepared and struck it down instantly. 
   
  "Good timing," said Alissa. 
   
  The kids made their way slowly through the zigs and 
  zags that Alissa said would be there. As they came 
  around a long corner to the right, they could see 
  where it opened into another large cavern.  
   
  There were two rats near the left end of the room. 
  They were hiding behind some stalagmites, but not 
  very well at all. Another rat was splashing in a pool of 
  water at the back of the cavern. 
   
  Alissa whispered, "Too bad more of them don't do 
  that." 
   
  Jordan wanted to shush her, but couldn't resist saying, 
  "At least their toilet has a bathtub." 
   
  Not to be outdone, Roger said, "I'm afraid those might 
  be the same thing." 
   
  All their faces turned red as they swallowed their 
  laughs. 
   
  Figuring that the rat in the bath would be slow to get 
  out, Alissa focused on the other two. She fired her 
  searing light at one while Jordan rushed at the other. 
  Roger was aching to run in too, but held his ground by 
  the entrance, just out of view. Then things got even 
  weirder. 
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 20 
  A Gianter Giant Rat 
  While Jordan and Alissa tangled with the two rats on 
  the left, an even bigger rat ran out from a hiding spot 
  on the right. It dashed along the wall and into the 
  tunnel. The rat in the bath jumped out and scurried 
  closely behind it.  
   
  The big rat in the lead ran straight into Roger and then 
  straight over Roger. Its fierce snarl and rancid breath 
  flooded Roger’s senses as he was knocked backward 
  to the hard floor. Before Roger could figure out what 
  happened, the wet rat was running over the top of 
  him, too.  
   
  Roger had enough of being run over and grabbed the 
  wet rat by the hind leg, He was getting soaked with 
  stinky water, but held on tight. Its slick, wet leg almost 
  slipped free. With a yank, Roger pulled the rat back 
  and punched it, knocking it out.  
   
  It all happened very quickly, but Jordan and Alissa 
  were already back by his side. Each offered a hand to 
  help him up. 
   
  "Are you OK?" asked Jordan. 
   
  "I'm alright,” said Roger. “Just gross." He wanted to 
  brush the smelly water off himself. At the same time, 
  he didn’t want to get any more of the filth on his hands. 
  So, he stood there just waving his hands up and down 
  in front of his clothes. 
   
  Alissa could tell that it wasn’t just the stinky water 
  bothering him. "What's wrong, Roger?" She pointed at 
  the knocked-out rat in the tunnel. "You did great!" 
   
  Looking down at the at the wet rat sprawled out on 
  the floor, Roger wanted to be proud, but said, "Thanks, 
  but the big one got away." 
   
  Jordan and Alissa quickly looked at each other, then at 
  Roger. "The BIG ONE!?" 
   
  "Yeah," he said. He pointed at the rats on the floor.  
  "These rats are giant, but that other one was 
  giant…er." 
   
  Jordan and Alissa both replayed the events in their 
  heads quickly. 
   
  "That rat that attacked you in the tunnel was the 
  alarm…" said Alissa. 
   
  Jordan added, "and the rats in here were the decoys…" 
  Together they said, "so the 'gianter' rat could get 
  away." 
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 21 
  "You were right, Alissa,” said Jordan. “These giant rats 
  are smart." 
   
  "And the giant…er rat is even smart…er,” she said. 
   
  “And the gianter rat wants to get me,” said Roger. 
   
  “You were just in the way, Roger,” said Jordan. 
   
  “It’s nothing personal,” added Alissa. 
   
  “Maybe,” said Roger, but he didn’t sound so sure. 
   
  Just as they had pieced it all together, a big “whoomp!” 
  came from the other room and the floor shook 
  beneath their feet. 
   
  Along with his body, Roger's new-found confidence 
  was shaken. "Cave in! We'll be buried alive!" 
  Cave In 
  The three of them raced back through the tunnel, 
  running into a wave of dust coming the other way. 
  Through the heavy curtain of dust in the cavern, Alissa 
  could see a fresh pile of rubble on the other side. 
  "There was a tunnel off that way when we came 
  through here before," she said. 
   
  Jordan walked to the base of the pile. "Yeah. And 
  look…" He pointed at some boards sticking out of the 
  of crushed rock. "I bet those boards were holding up 
  the wall." 
   
  They were choked with dust and started to cough. 
  "We survived this long,” said Jordan. “Let's get out of 
  here before we choke to death." 
   
  They all ran back down the entrance tunnel to the 
  ledge. As they helped each other down the cliff, the 
  dust was starting to settle. Looking back, Jordan said, 
  "I hope that big rat can't get back through." 
   
  "They got through before," said Alissa. "That big rat 
  isn't trapped. It just blocked us from chasing it." 
   
  Roger said, "Something tells me this isn't over." 
   
  Alissa was certain that beneath the dread in Roger’s 
  voice, there was also some excitement. 
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 22 
  Where Did They Go? 
  When the three of them were back up the hole, they 
  went to find Roger's parents. All three of them talked 
  over each other as they explained what had happened. 
   
  Rogers parents listened, and nodded, but doubt 
  showed in their faces. Still with that parent-look on 
  their faces, they eventually followed the kids to the 
  basement stairs. 
   
  As Roger's dad, Yarrick, walked down the stairs, he 
  said, "Oh, yes. I do smell a rat."  
   
  "I smell a rat, alright," said Roger's mom, Maeve, from 
  the top of the stairs. 
   
  Roger was explaining everything that happened as 
  they reached the bottom of the stairs. His voice rose 
  with excitement as he walked around the stack of 
  barrels where the first two rats had been knocked out. 
  But there was nothing there to see. The rats were 
  gone. 
   
  "They must have woken up and skedaddled," said 
  Jordan. 
   
  Yarrick looked around at the mess. Even without the 
  rats as proof, he was starting to believe their story. "I 
  hope they don't come back…"  
   
  Maeve said from the top of the stairs, "Do you hear 
  that, Roger. Those rats better not make another mess." 
   
  When he saw the hole in the floor, Yarrick was 
  convinced. "Let's board up that hole and clean up what 
  we can,” he said. “Thanks kids. You were really brave 
  today." 
   
   
   
  
   
   
    
    
   
  Hero Kids – Fiction – Trouble in the Basement 
   
  John D. Parker 
  Page 23 
  The Rest of the Story 
  Jordan is standing there in the town square in front of 
  you. "So," he says, giving you a big grin, "That was the 
  fight of our lives." He hadn't been sitting on the well 
  since he started telling about the first fight. He and 
  Alissa both couldn't sit still as they showed all their 
  fighting moves and where they got hurt.  
   
  You found it hard to sit still, too. You imagined 
  yourself being down there in the cave with them. 
  What would you have done? 
   
  Alissa says, "Those giant rats are still down there…" 
  "…the gianter one, too," said Jordan. 
   
  "Hi kids." You hear your father's voice, as if out of 
  nowhere.  
   
  You had completely forgotten about him and mom 
  fetching water. How long have you been sitting here?  
   
  "Your weary bones get a break,” your father said. 
  “We're staying the night here in Rivenshore, so you 
  can get a good night's rest. I got us a room over there… 
  at the Block and Tackle Tavern." 
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Hero Kids/Hero Kids - Trouble in the Basement [Fiction].pdf