The Adventures of Trussman!
by Ethan Ferris
The Adventures of Trussman! by Ethan Ferris illustrations by Mom
Pocketful of Ponies PUBLISHING
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Copyright Š 2011 by Pocketful of Ponies Publishing All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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To Dad, my very own superhero.
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1 Fireman’s Peril
“Who am I? I am the mighty Trussman, of course. Bringing well-priced structural integrity to those in need. Who am I behind my mask? I cannot tell you for you may spill my secrets to those who would have me destroyed. For trusstice must always 7
prevail. And . . . what’s that? People in need? To the Trussmobile!” Trussman leapt into his Trussmobile, a woodbrown Mini Cooper with a flashing truss on top. The Trussmobile has the Trussman symbol on the doors, and the back can hold an infinite amount of roof trusses. Trussman quickly tucked himself into the car, and drove off. Soon Trussman reached the city. He followed the directions of his Super Trussman GPS. (One that knew all the buildings in the city without roof trusses.) He soon reached his destination — a building on fire! A building without roof trusses no less. Trussman jumped out of the Trussmobile, ready to save the day. One of the firefighters spoke up, “Get out of here Trussman, we don’t need you here. Roof trusses kill firefighters.” Trussman was undeterred. “Let me show you the power of the roof truss,” said Trussman as he went around to the back of his car and took out his secret weapon — the super truss. 8
Trussman put the super truss under his arm and ran into the building. He had to reach the top floor before it collapsed. Trussman was about to charge up the blazing stairs when he heard the cry of a damsel in distress. It came from upstairs. Trussman charged ahead, determined to save the innocent woman. He ran into the burning bedroom and saw the poor woman trapped under a stick-framed roof section. “Have no fear ma’am, Trussman is here!” Trussman rushed to the woman and lifted the ceiling from her back. She crawled out, but above him Trussman heard the roof cracking. He took the super truss out from under his arm and thrust it up into the collapsing frame. “Don’t worry ma’am, I’ll hold up the roof, you get out of here!” “Thank you, Trussman!” said the woman before she planted a kiss on Trussman’s cheek. Now Trussman was alone, holding the roof of the burning building up with his super truss. He had to make sure there was nobody else in the 9
building, but he could not let the roof go, or it w o u l d collapse. Then a cry for help came from the other room. Trussman had to do something! He looked around the room for something to hold up the super truss. There! A fallen beam looked like it was still strong. Trussman propped up the super truss using the beam and rushed to find the trapped citizen. “Help!” The cry came from the bathroom. Trussman rushed over and kicked down the door with all his might. There was a firefighter trapped under another piece of stick-framed roof. Trussman pulled the roof off the firefighter. The firefighter was free and quickly ran to get out of the burning and collapsing building. Just as Trussman was about to follow the firefighter, the bathroom doorway collapsed. Trussman was trapped! Trussman looked around, franticly searching for a way out — no windows, no extra doors. Trussman had no other choice. He ran at a section of the wall 10
that was not burning and burst through it. Trussman had escaped the bathroom, but he still had to get out of the burning building. He rushed through the halls back to the stairs. As Trussman reached the stairs he saw they were about to collapse. Trussman bounded down the stairs, four at a time, and burst out of the building just as it began to collapse around him. As Trussman stumbled out onto the sidewalk he turned to see the two story building collapse into a pile of rubble and smoke. As the smoke cleared, Trussman turned to see everyone staring at him. It was silent for a few moments before the firefighter Trussman had saved came forward and began to clap. Slowly all the other firefighters applauded with their approval and thanks. No longer did they fear roof trusses. Trussman stepped into the rubble and dug out the super truss. He hefted it onto his shoulders, struck a pose and said, “Always remember, stickframe roofing can never stand up the power of the 11
truss in a fire.” And, as Trussman drove away in the Trussmobile he could hear the people chanting, “Trussman, Trussman, Trussman, Trussman, Trussman, Trussman…” However, little did Trussman know that perched atop the adjacent building was his arch nemesis, and he was already plotting Trussman’s defeat.
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2 Twist and Shout
Trussman sat on his couch, watching the news and drinking his morning protein shake. He had red hair and light skin. He seemed like just a normal guy. But, under his clothes he hid a muscled body, ready to defend the innocent at any time. 13
Beneath his button-up shirt and jeans he wore his Trussman suit — orange tights and a shirt with a large T on the front plus a red cape. His boots are red and in his left pocket he hid his mask. Trussman was watching the news on TV before heading out to do his job, selling trusses for new buildings, as a normal person. The weather forecast called for a storm today — a big one. Trussman was going to have to be ready to come to the rescue. After his morning coffee, he headed out on his sales route, driving his Mini Cooper. Around noon a storm was brewing on the horizon and Trussman turned on his police scanner and began heading home, toward the storm. Before long the storm was raging around him. Trussman was having trouble seeing the road and nearly got into an accident. The police scanner had reported a few car accidents, but nothing Trussman could help with. But then, Trussman heard something he could help with. “A twister has touched down near Birchwood Drive,” came through his police scanner. “It’s ripping the roofs off houses!” 14
Trussman had to help! He quickly drove off the highway and toward the twister, changing into his superhero outfit while steering with his knee. Soon he arrived. He parked the Trussmobile, got out, and looked for the twister. It was nowhere to be seen. Trussman got back into the Trussmobile and moved closer, parking under a bridge. Being an expert in weather, Trussman knew that under a bridge was the safest place when on a highway in a car during a twister. Again, Trussman looked around in search of the twister, but there was no sign of it. Trussman went over to the Trussmobile and removed the super truss from its trunk. Just as he was about to set out in search of the twister he was shoved by a massive gust of wind. Trussman turned quickly, only to the see a massive twister heading right at him. Trussman hid up in a nook under the bridge, holding on with all his might to avoid being carried away. As quickly as it had come, the twister was gone. Luckily the Trussmobile was still in one piece. 15
Trussman quickly ran out from under the bridge to see where the twister was headed. At this point the storm was raging around Trussman, and he was constantly being pelted by rain and wind. He saw the twister heading for a farm. He ran to help the innocent people and livestock. Trussman reached the farm just after the twister did. The twister was moving on, but the farm was torn apart. However, there was still hope, some of the roof remained. Trussman had to hurry. He reached the farm and found the farmer and his family in the basement. “Quickly. You must leave, the house is going to collapse,� said Trussman while urging the family to leave. Once the family and animals were safe, Trussman turned his attention back to the hightailing twister. By now the twister was moving toward a small city on the horizon, leaving a trail of destruction behind it. Trussman had to find a way to stop it before it reached the city. Trussman rushed back to the Trussmobile and 16
drove at breakneck speed toward the city. When he arrived the twister was just beginning to ravage the edge of the city. Trussman had to stop it, but how? An idea came to Trussman. With the super truss in hand he ran to the nearest building. He rushed up to the top floor, encouraging citizens to flee as he ran. As he reached the top floor he broke through the ceiling to reveal the frame of the roof. He lifted the super truss up into the existing frame and held it there. Any building with the super truss in its frame could not be toppled. Trussman was hoping that when the twister was faced with an unmovable object, it would dissipate. Trussman stood with his legs apart, bracing the super truss firm in his hands, waiting for the twister to strike. It seemed like hours he waited. But then, like a ton of bricks, the twister hit. Trussman was whipped back and forth by the wind, trying with all his might to hold on to the super truss. Windows broke throughout the building and objects were sucked into the swirling air. The wind didn’t seem like it would ever lessen and Trussman was about to let go, due to fatigue, 17
when the wind finally began to dissipate. Slowly, but surely, Trussman could feel the wind lessening, and after what seemed like an eternity, it stopped all together. Trussman let the super truss fall and he bent over with exhaustion. He was scratched up from flying debris, and his hands were bruised from holding the super truss. Once he recovered, he started out of the building, super truss under his arm. When he came out of the building people were just beginning to come out of hiding, and when they saw him, they applauded. Trussman was to tired to stop and strike a pose, but he humored them with a wave and strode tiredly over to where he had left the Trussmobile. As Trussman left he surveyed the crowd, and for a fleeting moment thought he saw his arch nemesis among them. But when the figure disappeared Trussman dismissed the fear and continued home to watch yet another news story on his heroic actions.
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3 The Hammer of Trusstice
Trussman sat in the Trussmobile listening to his police scanner while eating take-out Chinese food from the carton. It had been a quiet day and he was feeling relaxed when a loud message came over the scanner. 19
“All units to 124 64th Street. We have a female hostage being held on a roof by a mysterious villain!” Trussman carefully closed his carton of General Tso’s Chicken, so it would not leak in his valiant Trussmobile, licked his chopsticks, and drove the Trussmobile out of its hiding place. He sped down the street, following the sound of the sirens, and soon reached the building where the woman was being held. Trussman looked up to the top of the five-story building and could just see the woman being held over the edge by a mysterious man. Trussman acted quickly. He pulled himself out of the cramped Trussmobile and went around to the back. Out of the trunk he pulled his mighty hammer of trusstice, the nails of integrity, a bundle of boards, and Trussman’s weapon of choice, his trusty nunchucks. With his dependable equipment, Trussman rushed into the building and up the stairs as fast as he could. It was not long before Trussman reached the top floor of the building, and as he burst through the door to the roof he saw the villain, holding the 20
woman over the edge of the building. “Turn and face me, criminal,” Trussman shouted. Slowly the villain turned, and Trussman nearly fell over with surprise. It was his arch nemesis — Willfork! Willfork was the most powerful villain Trussman had ever met. Willfork had the ability to appear as anyone at anytime. Willfork was a dangerous adversary. He wore a purple suit and mask, with a W on his chest. His incredible acting skills made his disguises impossible to see through. Willfork said with a cackle, “You have a choice Trussman, save the damsel in distress, or try to catch me.” With that Willfork dropped the woman. Trussman rushed to the edge in hopes of catching her while Willfork slid to the side. As Trussman reached the ledge he looked over, thinking he would see the woman falling to her death, but instead she was in the arms of a firefighter. He had used the ladder on the fire truck to catch her. And it was the firefighter Trussman had saved previously 21
in the blazing building. “I have her Trussman, go get Willfork,” the firefighter said while lowering the ladder. Now, knowing that the woman was safe, Trussman turned on Willfork, but he was to late. Willfork punched him right in the chest, knocking him backward, almost off the building. But Trussman retaliated quickly, taking out his nunchucks, swinging them wildly at Willfork. Willfork moved quickly, sidestepping Trussman and tripping him, but with expert use of the nunchucks, Trussman was able to bring Willfork to the ground with him. Now Trussman leapt up before Willfork could recover. Holding Willfork down with his foot, Trussman put away his nunchucks. But then, before Trussman’s very eyes, Willfork disappeared and was replaced with a face Trussman knew all to well, the face of his son. Trussman’s son cackled as he spoke, but Willfork’s voice came out. “That’s right Trussman, I know who you are. Now you will never be safe from 22
me. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” At that moment Trussman realized that it was not his son that he was holding down, it was Willfork in disguise. Trussman punched Willfork in the chest and Willfork returned to himself. Now, with new rage at Willfork, Trussman took out his boards, the nails of integrity, and the hammer of trusstice. Using these tools of trusstice, Trussman attached Willfork to the roof, just as police burst through the door. “He is all yours,” Trussman said to the officers. “Make sure he never escapes.” The police acknowledged Trussman and began cuffing Willfork. Willfork spoke darkly, “You have not escaped me Trussman. This is only the beginning!” And with that Willfork was taken away, leaving Trussman to think and worry about his son’s safety.
. . . to be continued . . . 23
Trussman is out to save the citizens of his city from faulty roofs and super villains. These unforgettable stories will take you for a ride. Trussman is a hero for our times. Mr. Ferris brings to life these adventures with imagination and skill. ~ New York Tymes You won’t be able to put this book down! ~ Boston Globes Incredible stories written by a master in the making. ~ James Pattersonn
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Ethan Ferris lives in Massachusetts with his family and cats Puck, Katie, and Yoda. This is Ethan’s first book of short stories.