‘Listen up!’ shouted Officer Tuohs. ‘This is the first day of operation The Watch. We will find all litterers and rubbish-droppers.’
I listened carefully as the officer shouted about how we were to stay at our posts and watch for people dropping rubbish. While this was important, I did not understand why he needed to shout.
***
The sound of fast-moving water filled my ears as I observed the ancient spruce forest and modern riverside town. My gaze stopped on Watcher 2, who seemed to be watching Watcher 3.
‘What are you watching, Watcher 2?’ I asked as I went to investigate.
‘I’m watching old Lily Thorn, and you can stop with the complex formal words, Ben Dover. You visit her and I’ll watch everything.’
Overwhelmed by Watcher 2’s friendliness, I ran to see Watcher 3. I suddenly remembered how thorny her personality was as Lily Thorn calling me a suspicious litterer reached my ears. Somehow, my voice reached Thorn through her ocean of accusations and more information became mine.
I raced to investigate strange noises Thorn had reported. I almost laughed from surprise: the ‘abnormal’ noises Lily had heard were the laughs of Watcher 4 and his children.
‘Mr. Tom Salmon, why are you playing during The Watch?’ I asked angrily.
‘This is where my children come to play. They really wanted me to join them,’ Tom replied.
‘How about we switch places?’ I suggested. ‘It’s good you were trying to make your children happy, but we have to focus on finding out who is leaving rubbish everywhere.’
The sound of Watcher 4 saying goodbye to his children and leaving was drowned by the river as I watched the riverside town full of nature and the spruce forest rich with new growth. My gaze stopped on a small camp with brown tents and a large pile of rubbish; Tom has been too distracted to see that the litterers were right behind him.
I confidently walked towards the camp and shouted at the litterers to come out. Six teenagers burst out of the three worn tents and demanded to know what I wanted.
‘Can you stop littering? Leaving rubbish around harms our planet.’
‘We are not going to stop having fun because it “harms” the planet. How about we show you how to play Rubbish Storm,’ said the leader.
Then, I ran as they threw rubbish at me. However, I had just come up with a plan involving a former guard of royalty and an ambush.
***
Lily Thorn and I walked into the camp, and the leader of the litterers said I had returned with an ‘old lady’.
‘I doubt you can throw anything at an old lady like me,’ claimed Lily Thorn.
Aggravated by the former guard’s insult, the litterers played Rubbish Storm again . However, Thorn spun her stick round, deflecting all attacks and laughing like a hyena. Terrified, the teenagers tried to escape but were ambushed by the police. My plan had worked.
Ever since that day 50 years ago, our peaceful town has been free of litter. Maybe because parents have exaggerated the Legend of Lily Thorn and claim that the crazy old lady’s ghost still roams the ancient spruce forest, laughing hysterically.