2016Bluestone

The Creature at Oakland School Rebecca Edmonds It had rained all night. Not just a shower, but a deluge. The rain had come down in sheets, with gusts of wind strong enough to send the dogs into their doghouses. It was a damp and soggy Thursday morning at Oakland Elementary in Pipers Gap, Virgin- ia. The school children tramped in with wet and muddy shoes and squeaked down the halls to their classrooms. The sun was trying to peek out amidst angry clouds, and the wind gusted and whistled around the school building. As I walked down the lower hall to class, a group of excit- ed children caught my eye. They were gathered around a pair of windows which looked out upon the preschool playground. My curiosity stirred, I walked over to the group.

“It’s a snake!” “No, it’s a rat!” “I think it’s a mouse!” “No! It has to be a fish!”

The children were bursting with excitement! I looked out the window and was astonished by what I saw. In the corner of the playground, up close to the building, a large puddle had formed overnight. Wood chips were everywhere, floating in the puddle and scattered around the ground. In fact, there were so many wood chips in the puddle, that the water was obscured.

“Look, look, look!” cried a little girl, “It’s ALIVE!”

I looked at the puddle, and saw a mound of wood chips form and move quickly across the length of the water to the op- posite edge. It then abruptly changed direction, and went back to the other side. The mound disappeared, but then reappeared and began to move in a frantic circle. The children squealed! I shud- dered. 26