Kate’s Vermonth Adventure

“Ahhh!” Kate Oliver screamed as she ran from the Mad River Creamery. Her heart raced a hundred miles an hour. “Wait, Sydney!”

Her friend half-turned with a frantic look on her face. She kept running, nearly slipping on the icy pavement. “We can't stop! N–not yet!”

“B–but…you're too fast! I can't keep up!” Kate paused to catch a few breaths. Then she ran again. The sooner she could get away from what she'd just seen…the better!

From behind, she heard others crying out as they ran from the building. She'd never seen so many people move so fast! Kate had a feeling none of them would ever visit the Mad River Creamery again!

Whoosh!
Kate's feet hit the slippery patch of ice. She began to slip and slide all over the place.

“Nooooooo!” she hollered as her tennis shoes sailed out from underneath her. She slid a few more feet, finally plopping onto her bottom on the icy pavement. Her tiny video camera flew up in the air. Thankfully Kate caught it before it hit the ground. When she screamed, Sydney finally stopped running and turned around.

“What are you doing?” her friend asked, sprinting her way. “We've got to get out of here! I can't stand…” Sydney's voice began to shake. “I can't stand…
rats!”

Kate shuddered and the memories flooded back. Not just one but
three
jumbo-sized rats had raced across the floor of the creamery during their tour. One had scampered across her toes! Kate shivered—partly from the cold Vermont air, and partly from remembering the sight of those horrible, ugly creatures!
Oh, how sick!
And—just in case no one believed them—she'd caught the whole thing on video!

Sydney's hand trembled as she helped Kate up. “Let's go, Kate. I'm never coming back here. Never!” Sydney's dark braids bobbed back and forth as she shook her head. Kate saw the fear in her friend's eyes.

“But I
have
to come back,” Kate argued as she brushed ice off her backside. “My school report! We'll only be in Mad River Valley a week. I have to get it written! I'll never get an A in science if I don't finish it.”

“Just choose a different topic. Your teacher won't care—especially if you tell her what happened!” Sydney said as they started walking. “Vermont has lots of great things you could write about. Why don't you write your essay on your aunt's inn? Or about the ski lifts? They're the coolest I've ever seen!”

Kate shrugged, still feeling sore from falling. “I don't know anything about skiing, remember? You know I'm not into sports. And nothing is scientific about my aunt's inn. This is supposed to be a
science
paper not a
What I did on my Christmas vacation
essay!”

“Well then, what about the Winter Festival?” Sydney suggested. “I read about it in the paper at the inn, and I even saw a poster advertising it. They're having all sorts of races and prizes. Maybe you can write about competition from a scientific angle.”

Kate groaned. “I guess, but none of that is as exciting as the creamery. I had so many ideas for my paper, and now…” She sighed. “Now I probably won't even get to go back in there.”

“The Mad River Creamery is exciting, all right!” Sydney agreed. “Just wait till your teacher finds out about rats in their cheese! She'll tell her students and they'll tell their parents! Before long, supermarkets won't even carry Mad River Valley products anymore.”

“I guess you're right,” Kate said with a shrug.

Sydney laughed. “If you
do
go back, you should get extra credit for this paper, that's all I've got to say!” Her eyes lit up. “I know! Show your teacher that video! That will get you some bonus points!”

Kate sighed. “It does creep me out to think about going back in the creamery, but I wanted to write about all the electronic gizmos they use to turn milk into cheese. It's so… fascinating!”

“Yes,” Sydney agreed, “but
rats
are not fascinating.” She squeezed her eyes shut. Opening them again, she said, “They're awful, disgusting creatures! I hope I never see another one as long as I live.”

Kate laughed as she trudged along on the snow-packed sidewalk. “I've never seen you scared of anything, Sydney. You're the bravest person I know.”

“Just because I'm athletic doesn't mean I like rats and snakes and stuff.” Sydney shook her head. “No thank you! I'll scale the highest heights. Ski down the biggest mountain…but don't ask me to look at a rat! Ugh!” Her hands began to tremble.

Kate looked at her friend curiously. “Why do rats scare you so much, anyway?”

Sydney's eyes widened. “I can't believe I never told you! A couple of years ago at summer sports camp, one of the boys put a mouse in my lunch sack.”

“No way!”

“Yes. I opened the bag, and the rodent stared at me with his beady eyes.” Sydney's voice shook. “I threw the bag halfway across the room.”

“Aw.” Kate giggled. “Was the mouse okay?”

“Was the
mouse
okay?” Sydney looked at her with a stunned expression. “What about me? Why aren't you asking if
I
was okay? It scared me to death! Seriously!”

“Still, it's kinda funny,” Kate said, trying not to smile.

“Well, not to me. I've never liked mice…or
rats
…since. And especially not in a creamery.” Sydney shook her head. “Not that the creamery will be open for long. I'll bet the health inspector's going to come and shut the place down permanently. That's what I'd do, anyway.”

“That's just so sad!” Kate sighed. “For the owners, I mean. I'd hate to be in their shoes right now!”

“Me, too!” Sydney said. “'Cause their shoes…and their feet…are still inside that awful creamery!”

Kate finally started to relax as they walked together the three blocks to her aunt and uncle's inn—the Valley View Bed and Breakfast. When they drew close to the building, Kate saw her brother Dexter outside building a snowman. “Just wait till Dex hears about the rats!”

“Hey, Dex!” Sydney hollered. “Do we have a story for you!”

The nine-year-old rose and brushed snow off his wet knees. Then he jogged toward them, his cheeks bright red from playing in the cold. “What's up?”

“We saw
rats
at the creamery!” Sydney began to tell the story with great animation. Before long, Dexter's eyes grew so wide they looked like they might pop out.

“No joke? Rats! Ooo, that's so cool!” He rubbed his hands together. “Let's go back. I want to see them. Do you think they'll let me keep one? It's been ages since I've had a pet rat!” He rattled on about how much fun it would be to share his room with a rat.

Kate shuddered. “This isn't the day to ask. They've closed the creamery for the afternoon. I bet they won't even be open tomorrow.”

“And besides…those weren't pet rats.” Sydney squeezed her eyes shut and shivered. “They're probably disease-carrying rats.”

Dex scrunched up his nose and said, “Sick! Never mind, then!”

A voice rang out from the front of the inn, and Kate saw Aunt Molly at the front door, waving. Then Uncle Ollie joined her.

“Come inside, kids. Lunchtime!” Uncle Ollie hollered.

“I've made homemade vegetable soup!” Aunt Molly added. “Perfect for a cold day like this. And we have apple pie for dessert!”

“Everyone in Mad River Valley knows your Aunt Molly bakes the best apple pies around!” Uncle Ollie said with a wink.

Kate smiled at her uncle. He looked so much like her father they could almost pass for twins. Uncle Ollie was older. And mostly bald. But she still saw the family resemblance. How funny that Uncle Ollie had just married a woman named Molly! Kate still giggled, when she thought about it. Ollie and Molly Oliver. Their names just tripped across her tongue.

“Apple pie!” Dexter began to run toward the house. “My favorite!”

“Mmm!” Kate smacked her lips. Aunt Molly's great cooking would surely take her mind off of what had just happened…unless she served cheese on top of the pie!

Inside, Kate and Sydney pulled off their mittens and scarves, snow falling on the front rug. Kate's dog, Biscuit, jumped up and down, excited to see them. Then he licked up the little puddles of water from the melting snow.

“Sorry about the mess, Aunt Molly.” Kate sighed.

“Never apologize for falling snow, honey,” Aunt Molly said. “I always say snowflakes are kisses from heaven. So I don't mind a little mess. You girls have just left kisses on my floor!”