A small framed, lithe young woman ran down the rocky path screaming as she skimmed the hard packed dirt, leaping over rocks as she descended a hill. Her short hair was plastered to her head as if wet, and her face contorted in fear. She reached the bottom of the hill and nearly threw herself into an awaiting car, jamming a key into the ignition and hitting herself in the face with a purse on her arm as she tossed it into the passenger seat. She cranked the car, moved the shifter quickly into reverse, and headed down a small winging narrow country road at break neck speed. She was shaking, and with unstable hands, groped for a cellular phone on the car seat beside her. She dialed a number by memory and when it picked up a well modulated deep voice said hello. Qwill, oh Qwill I am so glad you picked up, this is Hixie and I have just had the most terrifying experience of my life Qwill. I am coming over........get a drink ready, she stammered and yelled into the phone. I have just been to the Hilltop Cemetary and I was chased by a monster, a bigfoot, you should have seen him Qwill, my heart is beating so fast. The calm voice at the other end of the line said, Hixie, slow down your car and calm down before you have a wreck, come on over and we can talk about it. I will have your drink waiting for you.

Jim Qwilleran, richest man in the northern United States,a nd noted newspaper columnist, hung up the phone and turned to koko and said, koko, that was Hixie, she has met bigfoot, and I don't mean your old friend Bootsey aka Brutus either. Qwilleran walked to the liquor cabinet to check his stock and Koko said Yowwwwwwwww. Koko was a sealpoint siamese and one of a pair Qwill had adopted over 15 years prior. The female, Yumyum was asleep ontop the blue velvet cushion he kept for them on the refrigerator of his kitchen. Qwill decided Hixie might need something to go with her drink, so he poured some nuts in a bowl and cut some gouda cheese and got out some crackers. He added some cheve' with a spreading knife. He had known Hixie Rice almost as long as he had known his cats. She was now advertising and promotions director for the samll town newspaper which he wrote a column and ocasionally covered feature items. The name was ridiculous, The Moose County Something. Qwilleran had made Moose County his home after inheriting money and finding out he liked small town life.

Hixie's car came to an abrupt halt in the parking lot of the condo complex he ilved, and she hopped out. He immediately noticed her state of dress, hair awry, clothes torn and ........she was missing a shoe! He opened the door before she could knock and ushered her in.

OMG this is quite fun

Oh Qwill, I have been dining with one of the professors at the college, she explained. He is a history professor and has been working on geneology and history in Moose County. He asked me to go to cematerys with him today, to record some names and date for his research. I had a couple of stops to make this morning, but told him I would meet him there. I ordered a picnic lunch from Celia Robinson, and picked up some nice wine, envisioning a lovely day in the county. Well I must have gotten the location of the cematery wrong or time were to meet. I climbed the path up the hill to the graves and was enjoying the beautiful day, and I realized time had passed and he had not shown up. I started to call him on my cell and realized I had left it in the car. Just when I had decided to go back down the path to the car, I heard a noise. Oh Qwill it was just so terrible, so scary. Qwill patted her hand and handed her a slice of cheese. Go on Hixie, what was it? Well the bushes started to move and I could hear breathing and growling and I saw through an opening a large hairy man, or animal, I don't know, it was standing upright and covered in brown hair, its eyes were kind of yellow......and it made a horrible noise, so I screamed and started running and I got going to fast and slide partway down the nill, landing in some mud and water. I don't know how I lost my shoe. I can't believe I made it to the car in one piece. It was just terrible Qwill, just awful. Well Hixie, whatever it was, you are safe now. I have no idea why my professor has not called me. Maybe he thinks I stood him up! Here Qwill, take my car keys and go get the wine from my car. Your coffee is like shoe polish and I need a glass of good wine, Hixie said, smoothing the blanket over her and grabbing a sandwich.

The next day, Qwilleran was laughing at Hixie's big foot story over a stack of pancakes with eggs and sausage at Lois' as he recounted the story to Arch Riker. Arch, his long time friend was general manager and editor of the local newspaper that Qwill wrote a column for. Arch said, Qwill, old buddy, there is fodder for the Qwill Pen. Straight from the Qwill Pen was the name of the column. You could do a series of columns on big foot sightings around the county from the past to present. Interview eye witnesses. Arch could not go on for laughing. Don't laugh Arch, you are the one married to the psychic who believes in UFOs, Qwill recounted.

Just as Qwilleran was about to explain the situation to Hixie, a loud crash sounded right outside the shop door. Fran and Qwill raced to the doorway. A large farm truck with hay in the flatbed had run into the back of a black shiney mercedes. Stepping out of the mercedes was a middle aged man who had a shock of black hair and a pencil thin mustache. He was dressed in an expensive looking suit and had a bright red carnation in his lapel. A pickax police car drove up and Qwill said, Fran, I have to go now, would you like to go to dinner with me at the Grist Mill tonight and I will fill you in on Hixie's latest. AS a matter of fact I am free tonight, but make it the McIntosh Inn, they have a new item on the menu I want to try. She crab soup and lobster salad. I will meet you over at the Inn around 7 Qwill. Qwill sidestepped the crowd that had gathered at the scene of the wreck. He did not recognize the man in the mercedes, but did recognize the farmer. He was one of the Coddles from the Mooseville area. He walked on to the office of the Moose County Something to check in on Hixie next, but found out she had taken the morning off.

Beth, this is a wonderful story line!! Thank you so very much for taking up the cause and writing some fan fiction!! I loved every word, and am wondering exactly who or what Hixie really saw. You captured Hixie so very well. Great job!! Can't wait to read more!!

I love it so much beth. I love the way you started the story and made it about Hixie. Great job! Are you looking for a title? If it continues to be about Hixie, could it be: The Cat Who spoke French?
She is always speaking French to Koko. Or the Cat who Saw Big Foot?
I hope you write more!!!! Anne

Hixie began beating on the door and he rushed over to open it, Yumyum leaping out of his arms at the sound. Yowwwwwwww koko said. Qwill opened the door and Hixie rushed into the room in her nightgown. Hixie, where is your robe? I didn't have time to get it Qwill. Some animal that sounds like he weighs 200 lbs or more is in my attic above my bedroom. He will surely come through the ceiling at any moment. Do you think we can call the fire department, the police department? Calm down Hixie, calm down. Here rest on the sofa while I fix you some warm milk or hot chocolate. No no no Qwill we must do something. Qwilleran talked to Hixie and fixed her warm milk, and she began to calm down. Oh Qwill I am sorry to disturb you again, I am just frantic. What if big foot has tracked me from the cemetary! They talked until around 6 am, and qwill took her keys and went to look in her apartment. All looked and sounded normal and he convinced her to return home and get some clothes and then dress at his condo. She was at sixes and sevens and so he drove her to Lois' for a hearty breakfast. He dropped her off at the newspaper office and then drove over to Tootles market to pick up some supplies for Hixie in case she appeared at his doorstep with another big foot sighting. He better be prepared he thought. While he was browsing at Tottles, he ran across Wallie Todwhistle. Wallie, he said, you are just the man I need to talk to about local wildlife.

Qwilleran walked with Wallie to the parking lot and they stood by their cars chatting. Wallie, I am interested in writing a series of columns for the Qwill pen on big foot and big foot sitings in Moose County in the past. Do you know anything about any sitings? Do I ever Wallie said. Mr. Q, by dad came across Big Foot when he was trapping when I was just a kid. I can tell you his story and point you in the direction of some others who have stories to tell. Some people up near Mooseville believe Big foot is one of the "visitors" who was letf behind when their spaceship forgot him. There is a guy up there by the name of Cooper Thornbush that tells a tall tail of seeing the UFO that left him. Do you mind if I tape our conversation Wallie, so I won't forget the names. Qwilleran made an appointment to visit Wallie at his taxidermy shop the next day to get more information. He got in his car a drove away with a light heart. He might as well write about big foot. He always seemed to be running out of ideas for his column. Local lore was of interest to the readers and this was one subject he had not touched on before.

He drove to the newspaper office and ran into Roger, reporter and long time friend. Roger, what urgent story are you rushing off to cover. Perhaps I'll ride with you, Qwill said, as Roger raced out of the door, no, no Qwill he said, I'm going home.
I have to pick up Sharon and the kids and head for the airport. We lucked out on a week at Disney World in Orlando for half price. At the end of summer, discounts are offered. The children have never been and we have promised. We will be gone a week. Hey, if you are going in, I will warn you, Arch is looking for you, he added. With me gone, he is trying to find someone to pinch hit for stories. He is talking out of his head, he is so worried about filling the paper and meeting the next deadline. He said in an editors meeting that you are reporting on big foot sightings. He is off his rocker, Qwill. At that Roger got in his car and sped away.
Qwill decided to forgo the newspaper office and walked to the Pirate's Chest, a local bookstore to look for books about Big Foot. He browsed and finally decided on one of the books. Next, he walked to the Pickax library and browsed for books there. He selected two and proceeded to the checkout. He was a favorite of the library volunteers and the one at the checkout desk chatted with him until she saw the names of the books, and she raised one eyebrow and got quiet. She leaned forward drawing him in and whispered, Mr. Q, if you are interested in Big Foot sightings in locally, I have heard that he lives in the Black Creek Forest, just north of the Black Walnut Inn. My brother has seen him. Really, Qwill said, if I need more information I will be sure to ask your brother to submit to an interview. Oh he won't want his name mentioned Mr. Q. He don't want no publicity. Oh anonomous, of course, Qwill said.

Excellent!! Like that you are bringing in other characters and places. Pickax and surrounding environs are such special places and it is great to bring them back to life! Thank you!