Riding Sound Waves

by Theanne Griffith

  Pablo and Violet said together, “Let’s learn about our senses!”

  The pages of the Maker Manual began to turn slowly but quickly gained speed. Then they suddenly stopped. The page read:

  Dr. Crisp closed the Maker Manual and stuffed it in a backpack lying by her feet. Pablo, Violet, and Henry felt something on their wrists.

  “Our Magnificent Maker Watches!” Pablo said.

  “We need them to keep track of Maker Minutes,” Violet explained to Henry. “We can only come back if we finish in time.”

  “Okay, Makers! Let’s get a move on!” Dr. Crisp did three cartwheels and a backflip. She landed in front of door number one. Pablo, Violet, and Henry rushed behind her. As she opened the door, their watches glowed and vibrated.

  The room was pitch-black. All the Makers could hear was the sound of one another’s breathing. Suddenly, Dr. Crisp’s voice boomed over a loudspeaker.

  “Step right up, step right up, Makers! Welcome to the first level of your sensory adventure!”

  Henry frowned as he covered his ears.

  The lights flashed on, and the room glowed purple. Wide streamers and banners draped the ceiling. Colorful, confetti-filled balloons floated through the air. They were tied into different animal shapes. At the far end of the room, Dr. Crisp stood on a stage in the middle of a spotlight. Next to her was a large black box with a purple M painted on the side.

  “This is a circus,” said Henry, pulling on his sleeve. “Not a makerspace.” A giant llama balloon floated over his head. “I don’t know if I like it.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’re going to love it!” said Violet with a smile. She darted toward the stage. Pablo and Henry hurried after her.

  “In this level, we are going to explore our sense of touch,” said Dr. Crisp, tapping her pointer fingers together. “And we’ll be using this Mystery Maker Box!” She gave the box a slap.

  “How does it work?” Pablo asked.

  “This box is full of all kinds of goodies,” Dr. Crisp began.

  “Like candy?” asked Henry.

  “Not this time.” Dr. Crisp laughed. Then she pointed to a hole in the top of the box. “In the first part of the level, you’ll stick your hands in here and dig around. When you grab something, you’ll have to guess what it is. But you can only use your hands. No peeking! And you have to guess correctly before you take the item out of the box.”

  Dr. Crisp opened her backpack. “Here are your Mystery Mittens!” she said, tossing each Maker a pair. “In the second part, you’re going to guess what you grab while wearing these. You might notice…a difference.” Dr. Crisp winked. “To complete the level, you’ll have to figure out why it’s so different exploring the Mystery Maker Box with mittens on.”

  “There isn’t anything in there that can hurt us, right?” asked Henry, peering through the dark opening.

  “Most definitely not!” replied Dr. Crisp. She held up her right hand with her three middle fingers down, making an M. “Maker’s honor.” Then she pressed a button on the side of her watch. “Activate Mystery Maker Box!” The watch glowed purple. “Ready, set, DIG!”

  Violet went first. She reached into the box with both hands and fumbled around. Eventually, she grabbed something. She ran her hands along the object’s curves and edges. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide and a smile flashed on her face.

  “No way! It’s a microscope!”

  Violet lifted a bright purple mini-microscope from the box.

  “It matches your pants, Dr. Crisp!” Pablo pointed out.

  “Purple happens to be my favorite color,” said Dr. Crisp, strutting around the stage. Everyone laughed.

  “Can I go next?” asked Henry.

  “Sure!” replied Pablo and Violet.

  Henry reached in. “I got something!” he said. He pulled his arms out. But his hands were empty.

  “Ah, ah, ah! You have to guess what you’re holding before you pull it out of the box. If you don’t, it will disappear,” said Dr. Crisp with a snap of her fingers.

  “She told us that already,” said Pablo. “Remember?”

  “I know!” Henry frowned. “I just got…confused.” His cheeks turned pink as he reached back in. He grabbed something else and traced it with his fingertips.

  “This has to be a belt!” he said after a few moments.

  Henry pulled out a green belt with a shiny black buckle. An H was drawn on it.

  “It matches my costume!” said Henry.

  “Now we just need to get you a cape!” cheered Dr. Crisp.

  Pablo went last. After digging for a while, he got his hands on something. It felt just like…

  “A spaceship!” shouted Pablo, holding it high in the air. It was exactly like the ones on his sneakers.

  “Now it’s time to mitten up,” said Dr. Crisp.

  “I wonder if they’ll help us feel the objects better,” said Pablo. He examined the Mystery Mittens carefully.

  “Can I go first this time?” Henry asked.

  “Go ahead!” replied Violet.

  Henry reached into the Mystery Maker Box. “Whoa, this is different,” he said.

  “What do you mean?” asked Pablo.

  “Well, I can kind of feel stuff. But it’s hard to tell what anything is.” Henry kept digging. “I think I have a…stick?” When he pulled his hands out of the box, they were empty.

  “Are you sure you put the Mystery Mittens on right, Henry?” asked Pablo.

  Henry’s shoulders became tense. “I know how to put on mittens! I learned how to do that when I was, like, four,” he replied.

  “It’s just that…sometimes you have trouble with directions,” Pablo continued.

  “Why don’t you give it a try, then? You’ll see it’s not so easy,” Henry said to Pablo.

  Pablo reached in and felt around for a minute. “I can’t tell what anything is!” He sighed.

  “Told you,” Henry mumbled.

  “Let me try,” said Violet. But she didn’t have any luck, either.

  “I think we need to stop,” said Pablo. “Otherwise we’re going to run out of time.”

  “Okay, let’s solve the level,” said Violet, taking off her mittens.

  Pablo scratched his cheek. “It’s weird. I mean, I could feel stuff in the box when I had the mittens on.”

  “Yeah,” agreed Violet. “I knew I had grabbed something. I could kind of figure out its shape. But I couldn’t actually tell what it was. What about you, Henry?”

  Henry was staring off into space.

  “Henry?” said Pablo.

  Henry jumped. “What?” he replied with a frown.

  “We need your help,” Pablo replied. He pointed at his watch.

  “Um, I’m thinking.” Henry paused. “What was the question, again?”

  “Henry, please,” said Pablo. “You’ve got to pay attention.”

  “I’m trying my best,” said Henry.

  “Wait a minute!” said Violet. “I think I have an idea. What about our skin!”

  “Huh?” said Pablo.

  “The mittens. We put them on our hands, but they’re also covering our skin!” Violet wiggled her fingers.

  “I think you’re right!” said Henry, jumping up and down. “It’s like trying to tie your shoes in the winter with gloves on! It’s so much harder when you can’t really feel the laces.”

  “That’s true!” Pablo agreed.

  “Our skin must be important for our sense of touch!” said Violet.

  “Yes!” the trio cheered.

  “I’ve got to hand it to you, Makers,” said Dr. Crisp, pulling a purple ball out of the pocket in her lab coat. “You knocked that one out of the park!” She swung the microphone stand, sending the ball soaring through the air. Then she pulled the Maker
Manual out of her backpack. It snapped open to a page that read:

  Dr. Crisp tapped the screen of her watch three times and swiped left.

  BIZZAP!

  The stage, balloons, banners, and purple lights glided away. The Makers and Dr. Crisp were now standing in an empty room.

  “Whoa!” said Henry. “How did you do that? Are you sure you don’t have superpowers?” he asked Dr. Crisp through squinted eyes.

  “Science is my superpower!” Dr. Crisp raised her fist in the air. Then she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, “Incoming!”

  BIZZAP!

  The Makers jumped out of the way as a large green bowl dropped from the ceiling. It landed with a thud. The bowl was huge!

  “Where did that come from?” asked Pablo, searching the ceiling with his eyes.

  “Secret door number six,” replied Dr. Crisp. “Now listen closely, Makers!” She bent down and cupped a hand around one of her ears. “This level is all about hearing.”

  Violet smiled with her head tilted to the side. “I thought we were going to cook something. Like maybe a chocolate cake,” she said. “And then taste it.”

  Dr. Crisp laughed. “Sorry to burst your Bunsen burner. No tasting in this level.” Then she opened her backpack and started pulling out a long roll of plastic wrap.

  “Stand back, Makers!” she grunted. After a few pulls, she finally got the whole thing out. It was even wider than the bowl! Then she pulled out a giant jar of jelly beans and a huge rubber band.

  “Uh-oh,” said Pablo, giggling. “The bands are back!”

  “I’m telling you, I need one of those backpacks!” added Violet.

  Dr. Crisp explained the level. “Inside each ear, you have a tiny flap of skin called an eardrum.”

  “We have drums in our ears?” asked Henry, pulling on his costume sleeve. “That explains why it gets so noisy sometimes.”

  Dr. Crisp laughed. “Your eardrum isn’t that kind of drum. But after this level, you’ll understand how it got its name. You’re going to make a model eardrum and then test it. To complete the level, you’ll have to figure out how the eardrum detects sound.”

  Dr. Crisp opened the Maker Manual to a page with a list of instructions. Then she raised both arms overhead. As she lowered them, she shouted, “Ready, set, MAKE!”

  First the Makers tore off a long piece of plastic wrap. Then they pulled the plastic tight and stretched it over the bowl.

  “Now all we have to do is fasten it with a rubber band,” said Violet as she ran down the list of instructions with her finger.

  Pablo, Violet, and Henry each grabbed a side of the band.

  “Pull!” said Violet.

  The Makers stretched the band with all their might.

  “I think it’s wide enough,” said Pablo. Drops of sweat dotted his forehead.

  Violet’s arms trembled. “Let’s hurry!”

  “I’m not sure I can hold on much longer!” Pablo yelped. Just then, the band slipped from one of his hands.

  “Hold tight, Henry!” called Violet.

  “I’m trying!” he replied.

  Pablo wiped his forehead with his free hand. “Okay, got it,” he said.

  The Makers carefully lifted and lowered the band around the bowl and plastic wrap.

  “Let go on three!” shouted Violet. “One, two, THREE!”

  SNAP!

  “Yeah!” The Makers celebrated with double high fives.

  “Well, polish my pipette!” cheered Dr. Crisp. “Excellent teamwork!” She leaned on the bowl with her elbow and gave it a pat. “Now it’s time to try this beauty out!” Dr. Crisp shouted into her watch. “Maker Maze, activate Going, Going, Gong!”

  The floor began to shake. Pablo and Violet smiled, but Henry turned as white as a ghost.

  “No, no, no!” he said as he raised his hands to his ears.

  A bright purple light flashed through the room. When it faded, Pablo, Violet, and Dr. Crisp saw Henry balled up on the floor in the corner. His arms were folded over his head. Next to him stood a giant golden gong.

  Dr. Crisp rushed over and leaned down. “Are you okay, Henry?” she asked. Her eyes were soft and her voice was gentle. Henry uncovered his head. His face was as red as a beet.

  Pablo and Violet ran over, too.

  “What happened?” asked Violet.

  Pablo knelt next to Henry and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s just a gong.” Pablo smiled. “Don’t worry. The Maker Maze is safe. Nothing here can hurt you. Right, Dr. Crisp?”

  But before Dr. Crisp could respond, Henry stood up, stomped his feet, and let out a loud scream. “Just leave me alone!”

  “But, Henry. We only want to make sure you’re okay,” said Violet.

  “Why is everyone yelling at me? It’s not my fault the Maze keeps exploding! Just let me be!” Henry replied with his hands over his ears. He started speed walking around the room.

  Everyone got quiet. Pablo and Violet didn’t know what to do. Even Dr. Crisp looked confused. After a few moments, Henry stopped. He took several deep breaths. Pablo glanced down at his watch. They didn’t have much time.

  “Henry?” said Pablo.

  Henry opened his eyes but didn’t move his hands.

  “It’s okay if you got scared. We all get scared sometimes,” said Pablo.

  Henry took another deep breath before lowering his hands. “I’m not scared,” he finally said. The redness had faded from his face. “It’s just that…” Henry fiddled with his fingers. Then he shook his head. “Never mind. It’s nothing.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Violet. “Something really seems to be bothering you. You can tell us.”

  “Henry, you don’t have to—” began Dr. Crisp.

  But before she could finish, Henry made an M with his fingers and said, “I’m okay. Maker’s honor.” He smiled.

  Dr. Crisp returned his smile and said, “Well, all righty then. Let’s regroup.” She walked around the gong as she explained the second half of level two.

  Dr. Crisp raised a finger in the air. “Step one! Throw a handful of jelly beans on top of your model eardrum. Step two!” she shouted, raising a second finger. “One of you will strike the gong with this.” Dr. Crisp pulled a golden mallet out of her lab coat pocket. It gleamed as she held it in the air.

  Pablo jumped up and down with his hand raised. “Can I hit the gong?”

  “You bet, space cadet!” replied Dr. Crisp. She tossed him the mallet.

  “It looks like a magic wand!” said Violet.

  Pablo waved it in the air. “Abracadabra! Spaceship, appear!”

  “I want my own lab coat, just like Dr. Crisp!” Violet laughed.

  Henry tugged on his sleeves and said, “I want the power to fly!”

  “Your wish is my command!” said Pablo, waving the mallet at Violet and Henry.

  Dr. Crisp continued. “Step three! Observe the model eardrum and jelly beans. And finally, step four! Decide how our eardrums hear sound,” she said, flicking her ears with her fingers. Then she said, “No time to waste, Makers! Let’s get gonging!”

  Dr. Crisp opened the giant jar and pushed it over. “Go ahead and grab a handful!” she said to Henry.

  He reached in and tossed a bunch on top of the plastic.

  Then Violet called to Pablo, “Ready when you are!”

  “Wait!” yelled Henry.

  Pablo tapped the mallet on the palm of his hand. “We have to hurry. We only have fifty Maker Minutes left,” he said with his wrist in the air.

  Henry gulped as he looked back and forth between Pablo and the gong. “I think you should hit the gong softly,” he said.

  “Why?” asked Violet.

  “Well, we don’t want to break the eardrum, right?” said Henry.
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  “I don’t think that’s going to work,” said Pablo, shaking his head.

  “You never know until you try!” said Dr. Crisp. “Let’s do an experiment and see!”

  Pablo sighed and tapped the gong lightly with the mallet. A soft sound rippled through the room. Violet and Henry watched the jelly beans carefully.

  Violet bit her lip. “I didn’t see anything, did you?”

  “No,” Henry replied. “Maybe we made a mistake when we made the eardrum.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with the eardrum,” Pablo insisted. “We’re wasting time. If we don’t hurry and finish, we won’t be able to come back!” He lifted the mallet high over his head and crashed it into the gong as hard as he could.

  GOOOOO­OOOOO­OOOOO­OOONG!

  Sound flooded the room. Suddenly, the jelly beans started dancing on the plastic!

  “Wow! Look at them go!” said Violet.

  But Henry couldn’t see anything. With his hands over his ears, he shook his head as tears poured down his cheeks.

  Pablo dropped the mallet and grabbed the gong with his hands. He squeezed tightly. Eventually, the ringing stopped and the jelly beans were still again. He ran over to the model eardrum. Dr. Crisp followed him.

  “I’m…I’m sorry,” said Pablo. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

  Henry was breathing so quickly it almost sounded like he was gasping for air. “You didn’t hurt my feelings,” he replied between breaths. He slowed his breathing and wiped his cheeks with the backs of his hands. “It’s my ears.”