Born to be Wild Chapter 15

After five exhausting days, Kelsey and Mortimer have finally arrived at Matadi, Congo. Kelsey decided to consult with her phone on how far the Okapi Wildlife Reserve would be.

"Searsha," She began. "How far is it to drive to the Okapi Wildlife Reserve?"

"48 hours." Said 'Searsha' in a robotic voice.

"48 hours?!" Kelsey shouted. "Dad will be having a whole barn of cows if I'm gone that long!" Mortimer then tweeted to get Kelsey's attention.

"What is it, Mortimer?" She asked mournfully. He then pointed to a sign that said 'Matadi National Airport. Only one hour way by foot'

"That's convenient!" Said Kelsey. "Okapi or bust, my trusty falcon!" She grabbed a map and started walking to the airport. After one full hour of walking, Kelsey felt exhausted. She then started to narrate to herself again.

"During her quest, Kelsey Pokoly and her trusty falcon had to walk under the burning hot sun in Congo. Is this the end of Kelsey? Will she never return to Herkleston? Will she be doomed to remain in Africa the rest of her life? Will she be eaten by a lion, hyena, or crocodile?" Suddenly, Kelsey heard a real voice.

"Next plane to Okapi Wildlife Reserve taking off in 15 minutes!" Said a voice. Kelsey and Mortimer had finally arrived at the Matadi National Airport!

"We finally made it, Morty!" She told her parakeet. "Now to find a way to get on the plane." She then looked at an empty box and had an idea.

"Looks like there will be two more animals to ship to the reserve!" She said quietly. She grabbed a sticker, wrote 'Okapi Wildlife Reserve' on it, and the both of them got in the box. One of the workers picked up the box containing Kelsey and Mortimer and literally threw it on the plane.

"Ow!" She said from inside the box. "I guess I should've put a fragile sticker on it, huh, Mortimer?"

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Back at the Creek, Craig was holding a meeting at the Trading Tree.

"May I have your attention, please?" He asked, speaking through a toy microphone. "You may have noticed that there was a speech this morning by my grandmother about the environment. We need to do our part, too, or else someone might want to turn our Creek into, say, a parking lot! That means no more galloping, no more biking, no more reading or talking about manga or anime, no more Trading Tree, and worst of all, no more exploring!" The kids all gasped upon hearing this. "So, we have to do our part to make the Creek a better place! I even made a deal with Kit on what to do when you collect enough pieces of trash." He then handed the microphone to Kit.

"With every five pieces of trash you find lying around in the Creek, I will give you a special Trading Tree treat!" She said. "But only one piece per customer! However, your own trash doesn't count! Same goes to anything from the Junk Lord! Now, who's with Craig?" The kids then cheered and searched the Creek for garbage in the trees, the grass, the water, the sand, the mud, and under the rocks. Craig then grabbed the microphone and started speaking.
"Goshen Junior Forest Scout Squad 7-B!" He said, and Josh, Ravi, and Ian stepped forward. "I have a special job for you." He then handed them a letter. "Give this to the Sewer Queen! She and her people need to do her part to help the environment, as well."
"A queen, you say?" Asked Ravi.
"No time to waste, gentlemen!" Said Josh. "To the sewers!"
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After a couple minutes of walking, the Goshen Junior Forest Scouts made it to a pipe leading to the sewers. However, there were two kids with foam noodles guarding the entrance.
"Hey!" One of them said. "These tunnels belong to the Sewer Queen."
"We just came here to deliver a message." Said Ravi. "It's from someone named Craig Williams."
"Hold it, my subjects!" Said an unknown voice. A girl with pink goggles, a blue bathing shirt, light blue swimming trunks, and messy black hair then walked out of the pipe. "Craig Williams is the one who saved me after a flood and warned us about the Honey Suckle Rangers! Anyone who's a friend of Craig's is a friend of mine! Anyway, what brings you here?"
"We came to deliver a message from Craig, your majesty." Said Josh, handing the paper over.
"If you want to, you can kick us out." Said Ravi.
"No need for that!" Said the Sewer Queen. "All feet may enter! Come inside!" Josh, Ravi, and Ian then walked into the sewers, and Josh was amazed.
"Wow!" He said. "It looks like something out of a video game!"
"These are sewer pipes that connect to everywhere in Herkleston." She said, and the four of them approached a pipe clogged with pool toys and trash. "This pipe leads to the other side of the Creek. That was where the Honey Suckle Rangers met Craig and tried to steal his map of the Creek!" Ian, being four cents short of a nickel, couldn't help but lose his train of thought when he heard the word 'honey'.
"Honey!" He said, and he started running towards the clogged pipe, but was stopped by Josh.
"Ian!" He said. "You no better than that. She said we're not allowed to go in there. By the way, are you gonna read the letter?"
"As you wish." Answered the Sewer Queen, and she started reading the card out loud. "'Dear Sewer Queen, This morning, my grandmother gave a speech about how we should take better care about our environment. I also gave a speech at the Creek not too long ago. Since the sewers are connected to the Creek and the ocean, you and your people need to do your part to keep the sewers clean. Tell your subjects to pick up anything unusual floating in the water so it doesn't end up in the Creek. Search through the waters and decide if the trash in there is something that you want or something that you need. Thank you so much for reading this letter, your highness. Sincerely, Craig. Maker of the Map.' Wow. Craig really does have a heart of gold. Thank you for delivering this letter, replacement Junior Forest Scouts! I will inform my subjects immediately! Bye the way, what are your names?"
"Josh." Said Josh.
"Ravi." Said Ravi.
"Ian." Said Ian.
"Thank you, Josh, Ravi, and Ian!" She said. "You may now go back to the surface world, Junior Forest Scouts!" As the trio left the sewers, the 'queen' decided to announce what to do next. "Alright, everyone! Let's clean up the sewers a bit! You don't want your queen to get stuck under a toy car again, do you?"
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It was now 4 PM, and Kit was all out of snacks.

"Guess I have to refill my cooler!" Said Kit. "Bye for the day, Craig!" She then handed Craig a large basket of all the trash that was collected and headed home. After dropping off the trash at a local dumpster, Craig then headed to Wildernessa's house to check on her. When he arrived, he told her about what the kids in the Creek did today.

"Perhaps I was wrong again, Craig." She said. "Not all humans are evil." Cheesesticks then came over and licked Craig's face. "Besides, I even met a woman at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve! She told me that they would show a bear on, what was that website again? ViewTube?"

"You mean MeTube?" Craig asked.

"Yeah!" Said Wildernessa. "She said they'd put the bear on MeTube! What is MeTube?"

"It's a website where people can watch videos of anything." Craig answered. "Would you like to see if they put the bear on MeTube?"

"Alright!" Said Wildernessa. Craig, who was no longer grounded, got out his cellphone and searched Googs for 'Yukon Wildlife Reserve MeTube'. He pulled up the newest video, which depicted Nova the bear climbing a tree and successfully eating honey from a beehive.

"Is that the bear you released from the Maryland Zoo?" Craig asked.

"You know it, Craig." She said.

"I thought captive predators don't do well in the wild." Said Craig.

"She promised that she would train Nova." Said Wildernessa. "She did this with me." She then wrapped her pinky finger around Craig's.

"That's a pinky promise." Said Craig, removing his hand from Wildernessa. "That's a promise that you don't break."

"Will you pinky promise to not capture wild animals like that turtle ever again?" Wildernessa asked.

"I promise." Said Craig, wrapping his pinky around Wildernessa's. "But what if I need to catch bugs for my pet gecko?"

"You may do that," Said Wildernessa. "But Stacks says that it's better if you buy crickets at your local pet store. You never know if those bugs you catch will carry diseases or not."

"Deal." Said Craig. He unwrapped his pinky from Wildernessa's and ran back to the Creek to round up some bugs for Blink.

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After four hours of being crammed in a box, Kelsey and Mortimer were finally at the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in Congo.

"We made it, Mortimer!" Said Kelsey, as she burst out of the box. She and Mortimer looked around and saw a beautiful African jungle. There were monkeys and chameleons in the trees, exotic birds flying and squawking, and a Forest buffalo drinking from a river. A woman with a similar skin color to Craig then noticed the girl and bird.

"Welcome to the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, young girl." She started. "How on Earth did you get here?"

"I snuck on a boat and a plane." Replied Kelsey. "I have brought you one okapi and one leopard. Check inside the crates." The reserve worker opened one of the crates, one with 'okapi' stamped on it, and an okapi immediately ran out into the thicket of the jungle.

"Will it be okay?" Kelsey asked the reserve worker.

"Hopefully." She replied. "Okapis are solitary creatures. They prefer to be alone, but they still find other okapis to mate with."

"Can we release the leopard next?" Asked Kelsey.

"Yes." Replied the reserve worker. "But we need to be careful." She opened the next crate, with 'leopard' stamped on it, and Sofiya walked out of the crate, climbed up a tree, and took a power nap.

"Why is it sleeping?" Asked Kelsey.

"Leopards are nocturnal." Said the reserve worker. "They relax on branches high in trees- exactly the place where monkeys will go, and be caught by the agile cats. Leopards also eat antelopes, hyraxes, squirrels, and even birds."

"Cool!" Said Kelsey, while Mortimer just shuddered.

"For donating two rare animals to our establishment," Said the reserve worker. "You will be rewarded with 15,000 Congolese francs." She then handed Kelsey exotic dollar bills with elephants, rhinos, and okapis on them.

"Is this money?" She asked.

"Yes." Said the reserve worker. "Where are you from, young lady?"

"I am Kelsey Pokoly from Herkleston, Maryland." She answered. "And this is my falcon, Mortimer. Anyway, could I use these francs to afford a plane ride back home?"

"I do know a guy." Said the reserve worker. "One hour away from the west of the reserve, there's a pilot named Joel Kendrick. He might be able to bring you home." She then handed Kelsey two bottles of water. "Here. It's gonna be a long walk." Kelsey sighed and started heading west. However, a green chameleon then drooped down from a tree branch, hanging upside-down with its tail like a possum.
"Begone, you dragon!" Kelsey shouted, swatting the chameleon with her foam sword. The lizard then turned red and climbed up a different tree, and Kelsey continued walking with Mortimer right behind her.
Author's Notes: The Sewer Queen is, as her name suggests, the self-proclaimed queen of the sewers in Craig of the Creek. She and her 'people' live in the Herkleston sewers because of their webbed toes. The Sewer Queen appeared in the episodes 'Lost in the Sewers' and 'Return of the Honey Suckle Rangers'.

ViewTube was a spoof of YouTube from the Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends episode 'Bloo Tube'.

Searsha, the app that Kelsey uses in this chapter, is a spoof of the ever-popular app Siri. She's also named after Saoirse (pronounced Sear-sha) from the Irish animated movie Song of the Sea.

Saorse is the one holding the sea shell.

Born to be Wild Chapter 14

The next day at 2 PM, Wildernessa and Cheesesticks returned back to Herkleston. She and the Mastiff walked to the front of the door of the Solomon residence. Wildernessa reluctantly pressed the doorbell, and after a few seconds, someone answered the door.

"Hello?" He asked. It was Wildernessa's father Keith Solomon. "Who are you?"

"I'm your daughter, Vanessa Yuh Solomon." Replied Wildernessa. "Your name is Keith Solomon, and your wife's name is Anna." Keith then ran to his bedroom, grabbed a photo of him and Wildernessa from two years earlier, and ran back to the front door. He looked at the photo and then the real Wildernessa.

"Vanessa?" He asked. "Is it really you?"

"In the flesh." Replied Wildernessa. "I'm sorry for running away, punching a kid, breaking some animals out of the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, and sneaking into an airplane. You have every right to be mad at me, but please hear me out! If I didn't free the animals, they would've never experienced what it would be like to be free. You can ground me for eternity if you have to, but riddle me this: Who do you care about more? Your daughter or your business?" Keith just stood there and thought for a moment.

"Guess me and your mother were too caught up in the stock market to notice our beloved daughter." He said, reaching over to give Wildernessa a hug. "Starting next week, all our light bulbs at Insuricare will be replaced with fluorescent light bulbs!"

"Does that mean I'm not grounded?" Asked Wildernessa.

"Sorry, but no." Said Keith. "You are grounded for three weeks for your actions, but you can still use your cell phone. Also, we have to do something about that dog."

"His name is Cheesesticks." Said Wildernessa. "I freed him from the animal shelter when I ran away, and I've been taking good care of him ever since. I even bathed him in the Creek to wash him!"

"I suppose you could keep him." Said Keith. "But it's better to keep him outside. While you're punished, you may play with Cheesesticks for up to one hour. Deal?"

"Deal." Said Wildernessa, spitting on her hand and extending it forward, and Keith reluctantly shook hands with her. "It's nice to have you back, Vanessa."

"I secretly missed you, too." Said Wildernessa, secretly tearing up. "So, I'm allowed to use my cell phone?"

"As long as you stop using it two hours before bed." Said Keith. This gave Wildernessa an idea.

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Back at the Williams resident, Craig had just got back from the library to retrieve Blink, as well as some Smarty Boys books. He was about to open his BOYB book, but then, Duane entered his room with Craig's cellphone in his hand.
"I know you're not allowed to use electronics for four days," He said. "But it appears someone is trying to call you." He gave Craig his phone back for the time being so he could answer.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Is this Craig Williams?" Said the voice. It was Wildernessa.
"Yes, it is!" She said. "How's it going?"
"I got grounded for three weeks." Said Wildernessa.
"I got grounded for four days." Said Craig. "However, I'm going to see my grandmother on Saturday. She's a Town Hall Representative, and maybe, she'll help think of new laws concerning the environment!"
"That sounds great!" Said Wildernessa. "Could I come with you?"
"Sure!" Said Craig "I better go now, since I'm banned from using electronics for four days. Bye!" He hung up the phone, gave it back to Duane, and opened his BOYB book. However, Duane couldn't help but notice a gecko in his bug tank on his shelf.
"Where did you get that lizard?"
"That's Blink." Said Craig. "He's my new pet. I freed him from the Maryland Zoo.
"Typical Craig." Duane said with a smile on his face. As he closed the door, Craig searched through his sack and found that pack of BOYB cards that Kit gave him. He opened the pack and saw four cards: Chillin' Villain, Embercanda, Electrobat, and a Beast Swap.
"This will sure help Bernard with his college funds!" Said Craig, as he placed the cards in the book. Once Craig was done updating his brother's card collection, he put the book back and decided to read another Smarty Boys adventure.
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After three exhausting days, Mortimer had finally arrived in Guyana. He roosted on a palm tree near the Demerara River Docks and rested for a few hours. At 12 PM, the boat heading to Matadi just arrived at the Demerara River Docks. Mortimer woke up upon hearing the foghorn and flew inside the boat. After a few minutes of searching, he found Kelsey, and she was happy to see him.
"Welcome back, my trusty falcon!" She told him. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble for you."
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Back in Maryland, Duane decided to drive Craig and Wildernessa to Grandmother Jojo's House. Cheesesticks unfortunately couldn't come because Wildernessa was still grounded. When he knocked on the door, Jojo was surprised.
"Duane!" She said. "What brings you here?"
"My son wants to speak to you about the environment." Replied Duane.
"Why, sure!" She said, opening the door so her son and grandson could come in. "Why, Craig, you've grown so much! Who's this girl you brought in?"
"My name is Vanessa Yuh Solomon." Said the girl. "But when I'm at the Creek, I'm Wildernessa, guardian of animals! Unfortunately, I've been grounded in my room for three weeks, but my parents gave me permission to visit you."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Vanessa!" Said Jojo, shaking Wildernessa's hand. "Craig, you wanted to speak to me about the environment?"
"Yes." Said Craig."
"Sit down, sugar." She said, and both kids took a seat. "During my lifetime, I have seen many lovely animals depart, like the Passenger Pidgeon, the Golden Toad, the Mexican Grizzly Bear, and the Tasmanian Tiger. I personally don't like how governments handle environmental situations. They don't see that there are cleaner alternatives to everyday lives that can make a big change, like solar panels, cars being powered by cow manure, and becoming a vegetarian."
"You work at the city council, right, Grandma?" Asked Craig.
"That's right, sugar." Replied Jojo.
"Could you help make some changes to make Herkleston a better place?" He asked. "I don't want the Creek to disappear!"
"Of course, I can, sugar!" Said Jojo. "You, me, and Vanessa will work on a speech together, and we'll present it on Monday!"
"Great!" Said Craig. "Let's get started!"
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After two days together, Grandma Jojo, Craig, and Wildernessa concocted a speech that Jojo agreed to give Tuesday morning at 10 AM in front of Herkleston Town Hall. Many people were there, including some of the kids from the Creek, such as Craig, JP, and Stacks. Wildernessa was even given permission to attend the speech, but had to return home after it was done. A large screen was behind Jojo, putting on a slideshow.
"Good morning, Herkleston!" Jojo started. "I have brought you all over today because I believe we need to reduce our carbon footprint. Animals like the box turtle, mudpuppy, and black-footed ferret were once abundant. However, their homes have been destroyed to make room for more cities and highways. If these animals disappear, animals that we rely on, like bees, earthworms, fish, and butterflies may disappear, as well. Earth will become a wasteland like this." A drawing courtesy of Craig Williams then appeared on the screen, making some people gasp. "Is this what we want? Do we want our kids to lose the place they love to play in?"
"NO!" Said the crowd.
"Then I suggest that there will be lots of changes in Herkleston!" Jojo continued. "I, along with my grandson Craig, suggest we should make a wind turbine! A wind turbine is like a giant fan: As the wind blows on it, the turbine produces electricity. With a wind turbine, we don't have to burn so much fossil fuels!" The crowd then cheered.
"I also suggest that starting today, we should pick up after ourselves when we go out! We should ban use of pesticide! We should drink glasses without straws! We will have an Earth Day once a month! Who's with me?"
"I am." Said Craig, raising his hand.
"I am." Said Wildernessa, raising her hand.
"I am." Said Duane, raising his hand. Nicole, Jessica, Bernard, Stacks, and JP started raising their hands. Soon enough, everyone raised their hands and agreed to make Herkleston a greener place.
"For a greener tomorrow?" Jojo asked.
"For a better place for our children!" Said everyone, and people started heading to the park and the town alleys to clean up unwanted trash.
Author's Notes: Electrobat, Embercanda, and Beast Swap are not real cards. However, Chillin' Villain is.

The Smarty Boys, a spoof of The Hardy Boys, was a book franchise in the Craig of the Creek episode 'The Final Book'. Bernard complains that the culprit in each book is always the first person the Smarty Boys meet.

Jojo Williams is Craig's grandmother who was a rights activist during the 1960s. As I am typing this, she only appeared in two episodes: 'Monster in the Garden' and 'Bug City'.

Insuricare was actually the name of the company Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible worked at in The Incredibles. It was an insurance company that didn't help insured customers. It was run by the greedy Gilbert Huph, who's voiced by Rex from Toy Story himself, Wallace Shawn.
Unfortunately, Bob got fired from Insuricare for throwing Mr. Huph through at least four walls and breaking his bones.

Born to be Wild Chapter 13

Meanwhile, the boat heading to Matadi was now off the coast of Sapelo Island, Georgia. Kelsey wanted to make good use of her right arm before it had to undergo three vaccines, so she searched the boat for an 'opponent' to fight. After turning the entire boat upside-down (but not literally), she found a girl around Craig's age in the arcade section playing Broken Bonez.
"Hello there, young maiden." She greeted. "My name is Kelsey Pokoly. I am looking for an opponent to fight in battle." She then pulled out her foam sword.
"You call that a sword?" She asked. "I have a sword made from plastic! I will meet you in the gymnasium at 12:30. Make sure you bring your sword. You will need it." Kelsey started to narrate again.
"I, Kelsey Pokoly, had just volunteered to fight an opponent older and possibly stronger than her. It will be a clash between foam and plastic. Will Kelsey prevail, or will she lose this match and disgrace her family?"
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It was now 12:30, and Kelsey confronted Nancy, the girl from the arcade, in the gymnasium. She had a plastic sword in her hand.
"We duel now." Said Nancy. "First one to get hit three times loses." Both girls charged and hit each other with their 'swords'.
"Both of us are hit!" Said Kelsey. Nancy was about to hit Kelsey, but she blocked it with her own sword. They kept clashing swords until Kelsey dropped her weapon. Before Nancy could strike, Kelsey barrel-rolled left, got up, and used her cape to taunt Nancy as if she were a bullfighter.
"You can't get me!" She teased. Nancy charged over, but Kelsey dodged her again and Nancy crashed into a basket of basketballs.
"Those don't count!" Said Nancy. "You have to hit me with a weapon!" As Nancy got up, Kelsey already retrieved her weapon. Angrily, Nancy charged at Kelsey, but once again, she dodged, making Nancy hit a wall. Kelsey then gently tapped her twice on the head.
"Three hits, I win!" Kelsey declared. Suddenly, someone started speaking through the PA.
"Kelsey Pokoly. Calling Kelsey Pokoly." Said the voice. "It's time for your vaccine." Kelsey went back upstairs to go see the doctor.
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After five hours, Craig had arrived back in Herkleston. When he arrived at the front door of his house, he was afraid of what punishments awaited him. He rang the doorbell and waited for the worst.
"Come on in!" Said a familiar voice. It was Nicole. Craig opened the door and confronted his parents.
"Craig Williams." Duane said sternly. "I had heard of lots of crazy adventures you had at the Creek. Crossing a poison ivy grove, participating in water balloon fights, walking outside to a restaurant during the pouring rain, and even getting lost in the sewer, but freeing animals from the zoo? That's where I draw the line! However, Bernard told me that you shipped them to the right habitats around the world. Is that true?"
"Yes." Said Craig.
"I am impressed with what you did," Duane continued. "But I'm also a bit disappointed in you. What if you got caught on a security camera? What will they do when they find out their animals are missing?"
"We tricked them into thinking that the EPA wanted to free them back in the wild." Replied Craig.
"Sounds exactly like something Jimmy and Howard would do in the Superboxers books." Muttered Bernard.
"That's wise of you, Craig." Said Nicole. "But your actions won't go unpunished. You will be banned from using electronics for four days. Think you can handle that?"
"Yes, I can!" Replied Craig. "Can I still see Grandma Jojo to ask what I can do for the environment?"
"I don't see why not." Said Duane. "We'll visit her this weekend."
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Meanwhile, back in Canada, Wildernessa, Cheesesticks, and Nova finally arrived at the Yukon Wildlife Reserve. When someone opened the truck that they were inside of, she was surprised.
"Are you the so-called Sasquatch that was supposed to arrive here?" The park ranger asked.
"No." Said Wildernessa. "My name is Vanessa Yuh Solomon, and this is my dog Cheesesticks. We come all the way from Herkleston, Maryland, and we freed this bear from the Maryland Zoo so he can roam free where he's supposed to be: The wilderness."
"Is that so, eh?" Said the park ranger. "I hate to break it to you, kid, but animals are better off in captivity. Captive predators don't do well in the wild."
"Well, this one can." Ensured Wildernessa. "Do you have any bear hoods I could wear?
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After a couple minutes of changing, Wildernessa donned a bear pelt and lead Nova to a stream, with the park ranger secretly spying on them. Cheesesticks was back at the base because dogs aren't allowed in the preserve.
"This is where you catch fish." Wildernessa told Nova. "When you see a shadow, stick your face in the water as fast as you can, like this." Wildernessa stuck her face and bear hood in the water, and then pulled it out. "Now you try!" Nova waited for a fish to appear, and after a few minutes, he noticed a large shadow in the water.
"Now's your chance!" Said Wildernessa. "Stick your face in the water!" Nova stuck his face in the water and caught a large trout.
"Why, I'm impressed!" Said the ranger. "It's like you know how to train animals."
"Back in Herkleston, they called me Wildernessa." Said the girl. "But I still need to teach him how to get honey from beehives."
"I think you've been away from home long enough." Said the ranger. "Aren't your parents worried about you?"
"They're not worried." She said. "They don't even care about me. They don't understand how important animals are to me."
"Of course, they'd understand!" Said the ranger. "All parents care about is their children. If you told them about what animals are struggling through, then they might listen. My son Daniel wants to be a cartoon maker when he grows up, so I told him that when he turns 18, he can attend Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario to achieve his dream."
"Well, you've never met my parents." Said Wildernessa, taking off the pelt. "All they care about is politics and business. They are successful stock marketers. At a very young age, I seemed to get along better with animals than people. I freed a possum from a raccoon trap. I helped an injured toad cross a street. I even hid a coyote from a dog catcher! About two years ago, after being told they couldn't afford a pet, I ran away to the animal shelter and freed a Tibetan Mastiff and named him Cheesesticks. Since my parents were too caught up in the stock market, I decided to run away. I've been alone in the woods near Herkleston for two years feeding off of crab apples and onions, while I sneak into garbage cans to find processed meats that dogs can digest for Cheesesticks to eat. I chose not to eat meat because I feel it's wrong to eat animals. I also convinced myself that tigers lived in the Creek and that I wasn't human, and I made a mask out of an old teddy bear. One day, I encountered a young warrior named Kelsey Pokoly with a pet falcon named Mortimer, but he's actually a parakeet. It was a rocky start, but after a about a month together, we became close friends, though I still had a grudge against humans. Long story short, after meeting a bookworm named Stacks, I found out that I was a human, ditched my mask, and freed more than 20 animals from the Maryland Zoo."
"That's a long story." Remarked the ranger. "Anyway, I'm sure that your parents would understand if you just explained to them. Well, it's getting late. I'm going to find you a place to eat and sleep, and then, I'll get you tickets to the next flight back to Maryland. Got it?"
"Deal." Said Wildernessa. "But what about Nova? He can't just eat fish! He needs to eat berries and honey, as well!"
"We'll let you know on our MeTube channel." Said the ranger.
"Promise?" Asked Wildernessa.
"Promise." Said the woman, wrapping her pinky finger around Wildernessa's. "Now, let's get you inside and see if we can get you something to eat."
Author's Notes: Daniel in this chapter is named after and based on Ed, Edd n Eddy creator, Danny Antonucci!


The arcade game that Nancy is playing in this chapter, Broken Bonez, is an arcade game from Regular Show with the same name. It bears a resemblance to Nintendo's Excite Bike.

Vanessa Yuh Solomon is not Wildernessa's real name. It's a headcanon that probably won't be true. The backstory I made for Wildernessa is also made my me.
I know that Craig probably should've had a harsher punishment, but if any of you have actually seen Craig of the Creek, you'll notice that Craig's parents are much more loving and understanding than your average parents.

Instead of going on YouTube, the characters on Craig of the Creek go on MeTube.

Born to be Wild Chapter 12

The next morning after breakfast, Mortimer flew right over to the beach. However, one of the younger kids managed to catch him with a butterfly net.
"Look, mom!" Said the boy. "I caught a parakeet! Are they invasive species in Florida?"
"I don't know, sweetie." She said. "But if it is, we need to bring it to the animal control. When we get home, please put that bird in a cage where it belongs. Remember what I said."
"Nets can only be used for catching bugs, fish, and amphibians." The boy said with an annoyed tone. Suddenly, a great blue heron flew in front of the mother and child and gave a loud screech, scaring the humans away. However, Mortimer was scared, too, even after the heron took off the net. Thankfully, smaller birds like seagulls, sand pipers, and ibises started landing to comfort the parakeet.
"Caw, caw?" Said a seagull, which translates to 'What are you doing in Florida?'
"Chirp, chirp, chirp." Said Mortimer, translating to 'I'm all the way from Maryland, and I need to reunite with my owner Kelsey in Guyana. Do any of you know where Guyana is?' An ibis then held up a wing.
"Honk!" He said, translating to 'I do! I'll get you as far as Cuba, and you'll be guided by a trogon, and the trogon will guide you to Venezuela.'
'Chirp chirp?' Translating to 'What happens after I arrive in Venezuela?'
"Honk." Said the ibis, translating to 'You will be guided by a toucanet, which looks like a cross between a parakeet and a toucan, who will help you fly safely to Guyana!'
'Chirp!' Said Mortimer, translating to 'Deal! Let's start flying immediately.' The ibis then started flying south to Cuba, and Mortimer followed.
'Chirp chirp chirp, chirp chirp?' Asked Mortimer, translating to 'Out of curiosity, what is a trogon?'
'Honk honk.' Replied the ibis, translating to 'They're a kind of bird that live throughout the jungles of the world. The one we'll meet is blue and red with a white stomach and red eyes.'
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Back in Montana, Craig got out of the hotel and grabbed the next bus to the American Prairie Reserve.
"American Prairie Reserve, please!" He said to the bus driver.
"Okay." Said the bus driver. "Though you'll have to wait four hours until we get there."
"FOUR HOURS?!"
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After what seemed like forever, Craig had finally arrived at the American Prairie Reserve in Montana. He got out of the bus and ran towards a man who looked like a farmer.
"Did you receive a package in the mail this morning?" Craig asked.
"Why, yes, we did." Said the prairie man with a Southern drawl. "One had a live badger in it, while the other had five prairie dogs, all of which came from the Maryland Zoo. Would you like to see our prairie?"
"Sure!" Said Craig. He followed the prairie man to a huge, beautiful grass field where the deer and the pronghorn play. "Wow! It's like Africa but with no lions!"
"Indeed, though we do have mountain lions." Said the prairie man. "While many people think of America as an industrialist country, I still believe that there are some small spots for animals that are just as amazing as say kangaroos, elephants, monkeys, and pandas. And by the way, my name is Buddy."
"Yes, indeed." Said Craig in awe. "How are the prairie dogs doing?"
"They're as healthy as horses!" Said Buddy, pulling out a pair of binoculars. "Use these binoculars to view them from afar. They get frightened if you were to approach them in person." Craig heeded the man's advice and used the binoculars to try finding the prairie dogs. After a few minutes, Craig spotted prairie dogs popping out of holes.
"Are they the ones popping out of the holes?" Asked Craig.
"Why, yes." Said Buddy. "Some prairie dogs patrol outside their burrows to see if the coast is clear. Even though their cousins the squirrel and the groundhog hibernate during the winter, groundhogs don't hibernate during the winter, as they still forage for food during the cold season. Would you like to see the badger next?"
"Sure." Answered Craig, and the both of them walked over to the headquarters building to check on the badger. When they got to the building, they saw two workers, one male and one female, training the badger to hunt a mouse. One worker had a badger puppet to use as a 'mentor', while the other worker made sure the mouse didn't escape.
"Do I have to see this?" Craig asked.
"No, you don't, young fella." Said Buddy, and they exited the building. "Where are you from, kid?"
"It's Craig." Said Craig. "Craig Williams. I am from Herkleston, Maryland."
"Maryland, huh?" Asked Buddy. "Do you have some connection with those animals?"
"Yes, I do." Admitted Craig. "My friends and I freed some animals from the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Some of us went to various countries to make sure the predators don't end up eating other animals. So far, one is successful."
"That's a noble thing you did." Said Buddy. "Animals deserve to roam free, not to be imprisoned in some cage." He then grabbed something from his pocket. "Here. These are tickets to the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, as well as some lunch money. There's a Ramen Tacos restaurant on the east side of Malta."
"Thank you." Said Craig, returning the money to Buddy. "But I have some gemstones in my treasure sack. But thanks for the tickets."
"The pleasure's all mine." Said Buddy. "By the way, what's your email?"
"cwilliams@googsmail.com." Replied Craig. Why do you ask?"
"I will let you know if the badger survives in the wild or not." Replied Buddy. "Happy trails!"
"Bye!" Said Craig. He then walked off and typed the name of the restaurant to research where he could have lunch.
Author's Notes: Invasive animals are animals that were released in the wrong habitat. This has caused environmental and economic issues. Florida, unfortunately, has a poor reputation for having lots of invasive species, including cane toads, Burmese pythons, Argentine black-and-white tegus, and even some monkeys. There are also three non-endemic parakeets in Florida. Thankfully, Mortimer is none of those species.

Monk parakeets in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Invasive animals in other countries include cane toads in Australia (in which they're actually from South America), Indian mongooses in Hawaii, Starlings (from Europe) and fire ants (from South America) across the United States, and even beavers in Tierra del Fuego, South America! For those kids out there reading this, don't get so worried! This link contains some tips on how to stop invasive species. Just make sure to have a parent read it with you.
https://www.islandconservation.org/stop-spread-invasive-species/
Googs, which is Craig's email in this chapter, is a spoof of Google in We Bare Bears.


Googs will appear again in Chapter 15.
Ramen Taco is also from We Bare Bears. It was the name of a brand of taco in the episode 'Food Truck', though the bears thought it tasted horrible.

Grizz giving the Ramen Taco a bad review.

Buddy, an OC I made for this chapter, is based on Pixar Legend Bud Luckey.


Bud Luckey got his start in the animation industry on Sesame Street in the early 70s, in which he created beloved cartoon segments like 'The Alligator King', 'Ladybug's Picnic', and 'Martian Beauty'.

In 1990, he joined Pixar and created early character designs of Woody for Toy Story. He's even the one who suggested that Woody should be a cowboy. In earlier drafts of Toy Story, he was a ventriloquist dummy.


Luckey's other work at Pixar included A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, and Cars. He also wrote, directed, narrated, voiced, sung, and composed the Oscar-nominated short film Boundin', the one shown in front of the original Incredibles.

Luckey retired from the animation industry in 2008, but did voice acting until 2014. His voice credits include Rick Dicker in The Incredibles (he didn't return for the second one), Chuckles the Clown in Toy Story 3, and Eeyore in 2011's Winnie the Pooh.

On February 24th, 2018, Bud Luckey passed away at the age of 83. Incredibles 2 would be dedicated to him, even though he wasn't involved with the film.

Born to be Wild Chapter 11

After four hours, Craig had finally arrived at the Billings Logan International Airport in Montana. Craig was able to pass the time on the plane by a Slide the Ferret compilation on his GameGuy. When he got out of the plane, he got a video call from JP.
"Hi, Craig!" He said. "I have bad news for you: I told Laura about your mission, and she already told your parents and sister." Craig frowned upon hearing that. "They also want to speak to you once you settled somewhere."
"Alright." Said Craig, walking into the airport so he could leave.
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When Craig got out of the Billings Logan International Airport, he saw a hotel right across the street. It was 7 PM at night, and he needed dinner and a place to sleep. He walked over to the hotel, and when he entered the building, the innkeeper noticed something strange.
"Aren't you a little young to stay at a hotel unaccompanied?" He asked.
"Yes, I am." Said Craig. "I would like to sleep here for the night and, if I can, have dinner." Craig then reached into his sack and poured out some Patuxent River Gemstones, and the innkeeper was astonished.
"Where on Earth did you get this?" He asked.
"I can't say." Replied Craig. "It's private."
"Well, no matter!" Said the innkeeper. "At the North Keystone Hotel, the customer is always right! With these valuable gemstones, you will have yourself a luxurious room all to yourself, complimentary healthcare products complete with a brand-new toothbrush, maid service every six hours, and one full night of free Netflix!" Craig was astonished, himself.
"Wow!" He said. "That's awfully generous of you."
"Just don't expect it to happen again." Replied the innkeeper. "What would you like for dinner tonight?"
"Do you have apple, chestnut, and radish stew?" Craig asked.
"No," Said the innkeeper. "But I'll see what our chefs can cook up for you." He then handed Craig a key. "Your room number is B107. I hope you enjoy your night!"
"I will!" Said Craig, and he walked into the elevator to his room.
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At the same time, Wildernessa and Cheesesticks have arrived at the Edmonton International Airport in Canada. When the forest girl got out of the box, she found herself in the baggage claim area on a conveyor belt. She got herself and Cheesesticks out, but they didn't know where Nova was. Suddenly, Wildernessa heard two employees outside talking.
"Can you believe what the cat dragged in?" One employee asked.
"No!" Said the other employee. "I can't believe that a zoo is actually releasing an animal back in the wild! Where is it going, eh?"
"I think it's going to the Yukon Wildlife Reserve." Said the first employee. "That's a full day of driving." After eavesdropping on the two workers, Wildernessa and Cheesesticks snuck their way into the 'Employee's Only' room, where items were being shipped off or dropped off. A large pet crate with a 'live bear' sticker was on a forklift. They followed the forklift to a truck.
"Where is this going, eh?" Asked the truck driver.
"To the Yukon Wildlife Reserve." Answered the second employee.
"That's our stop!" Said Wildernessa. When no one was looking, Wildernessa and Cheesesticks went inside the back of the truck, where Nova was in his crate.
"We're going to get you home, big buddy." She told the bear. Soon, the man got back in the truck and started the long drive to Yukon.
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Back at the Keystone Hotel in Montana, Craig was having an apple-radish-chestnut stew with some chicken nuggets while watching Rhino Racers: The Movie on Netflix. Suddenly, his phone started ringing. Craig answered it, and it was his parents.
"Craig!" Said his mother. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I am, mom." Said Craig, pausing his movie.
"Is it true that you released animals out of the Maryland Zoo?" She asked.
"Yes." Craig answered, and soon, his dad joined the conversation.
"You released animals out of the zoo?!" He asked. "That's illegal! We all thought you were going to Washington DC!"
"I know." Said Craig. "I was afraid that if I told you, you'd be crazy upset." Soon, Jessica, Craig's younger sister, joined the conversation.
"Why did you free animals from the zoo, Craig?" She asked.
"I have this friend who cares about animals and the environment." Answered Craig. "She used to hate humans, even though she's human herself. After beating up Jason and being banished from the Creek for four weeks, she enlisted me, Kelsey, and JP to free some animals back in their natural habitats worldwide. Because captive predators don't do well in the wild, me, Kelsey, and Wildernessa all went to different countries. Kelsey's going to an African country called Congo to release a leopard and okapi, Wildernessa's in Canada right now to release a bear, and I'm in Montana to release a badger and some prairie dogs."
"Craig, my sweet baby." Said Nicole, his mom. "If you care about the environment so badly, why don't you ask Grandma Jojo for advice? She works at the city council, you know."
"Alright." Answered Craig. "But I promise I'll be home some time tomorrow afternoon."
"And we'll explain your punishment when you get home." Said Duane, Craig's dad.
"Alright!" Said Craig. "Bye!" He hung up the phone and continued watching his movie.
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Meanwhile, the boat heading to Matadi was now off the coast of Morehead City, North Carolina. Kelsey had three vaccine shots, and had to take three more tomorrow. She was in her own bedroom with some of her favorite books borrowed from the ship's library, a birdcage for when Mortimer came, and a radio. Kelsey was texting JP to see what was up back in Herkleston.
Kelsey: Hi, JP! Our captain says that we're off the coast of North Carolina.
JP: Wow, that's far! I told your dad about what happened today.
Kelsey: What did he say?
JP: He said that he hopes you're okay. Also, Mortimer is now flying to Guyana, where you're heading.
Kelsey: I hope he makes it. I can't lose another Mortimer. JTLYK, the captain says that once the boat is 100 miles away from the Florida Keys, we have to refrain from using our cellphones.
JP: Okay! Good night!
Kelsey: Good night, JP.
Kelsey then turned off her cellphone and started rereading one of the Dragonmancer books.
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After a series of events, Mortimer flew with a flock of blue jays to Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Once they reached their destination, the blue jays returned to the Myrtle Beach State Park in South Carolina. Since it was late out, Mortimer decided to find a birdhouse to sleep in for the night. Once he found a birdhouse in someone's backyard, the parakeet went inside and fell asleep.
Author's Notes: JTLYK is text lingo for just to let you know.
The hotel that Craig stays at in this chapter is named after the Keystone Motel from Steven Universe.
The movie that Craig is watching in this chapter, Rhino Racers: The Movie, is a reference to the Craig of the Creek episode 'Dog Decider'. In that episode, an indecisive Craig meets a group of kids called the Freddites. They are indecisive like Craig, so they rely on a dog named Fred to choose what to do. However, it causes Craig to rely too much on Fred, interfering with his friendships with Kelsey and JP. Craig later admits that he relies on Fred because one night with his family, it was Craig's turn to rent a movie from the BreadBox (a spoof of the Redbox). He had to choose between Rhino Racers: The Movie or Burning Justice.

Craig, thinking that Burning Justice would be an epic action movie, instead chose a boring movie about a man who sues another man for burning his tongue on a tamale.
In the end, Craig quits the Freddites and becomes friends with Kelsey and JP again.
The apple-radish-chestnut stew that Craig eats in this chapter is a reference to the episode 'Dinner at the Creek'. In that episode, Craig is upset that Bernard has to cook dinner while their parents Duane and Nicole go to a concert, so he decides to escape to the Creek to make his own dinner with the help of his friends. However, it proved easier said than done.

Kelsey having trouble breaking an acorn.

'Dragonmencer' is a book franchise that Kelsey loves, as seen in the episode 'The Final Book'.

I was originally going to have an entire sub-plot about Mortimer getting lost at sea and finding his way back to Kelsey in Guyana, but I felt it would stretch the story longer than it needs to be.