Petrify by Beth Chambers Read Free Book Online

1

Ma Jessop’s Woods
    No one goes into the woods. No one talks about why. It’s just a matter of fact. Keep out of Ma Jessop’s woods.
    Of course, that isn’t the proper name of the woods. The proper name has faded over the years.
    From the time of the first disappearance.
    I have tried to make Josh understand that the woods are off limits. But he just doesn’t seem to get it.
    â€œOoh, trees are real scary,” he mocks.
    I know what he’s doing. Trying to wind me up so I tell him the whole story.
    Well, I’m not going to fall for his trick. I look at my watch. “Teen Edge youth club opens in ten minutes,” I tell him. “Do you want to hang out there for a while?”
    We head along the streets to the youth club.
    I push open the faded red door and Josh scoots over to the pool table.
    Carrie and Helena ask me to join them.
    â€œWho’s the newbie?” Helena demands.
    â€œJosh? He moved in next door on Tuesday.”
    â€œCute,” Carrie whistles.
    Josh picks up a pool cue. He is playing against Karl, who’s in my year in school.
    â€œNice,” Karl admires as Josh pots the black.
    Josh flashes Karl a grin. “Cheers mate.” He gives him a high five.
    â€œSo,” asks Josh, staring at me, “do you guys want to meet up tomorrow?”
    â€œSure.” Carrie sounds keen. She
so
has a crush on Josh. “Where should we meet?”
    â€œThe woods,” Josh says.
    Karl scowls at me. “Ella should have told you. The woods are off limits.”
    â€œWhat are you afraid of? Killer rabbits?” Josh raises his eyebrows.
    Helena steps in. “I don’t mind going. It’s not like anything is going to go wrong if we’re all together.”
    I wait for the others to disagree but it doesn’t happen. Carrie can’t see beyond her crush on Josh and Karl doesn’t want to look a coward.
    â€œWe’ll be okay as long as we don’t go too far in,” says Helena. “My brother sometimes hangs out there with his mates.”
    â€œHe does?” I’m surprised. It’s the first I’ve heard of it.
    â€œThey’ve made a den on the edge of the woods,” she tells me.
    As they make plans to meet up in the morning Josh gives me a smug look.
    I shake my head.
    I have such a bad feeling about this.

2

A Warning
    I decide to walk home alone.
    I don’t even reach the end of the street when I hear the sound of footsteps running along the pavement.
    â€œWhy didn’t you wait for me?” asks Josh.
    I shrug. I’m still mad at him. We walk along in silence.
    â€œOkay, I get it. You’re not talking to me,” Josh grumbles as we turn into our street. “You haven’t said a word in the last hour.”
    â€œYou want a word? How about
loser
?” I say.
    Josh’s eyebrows shoot up and disappear behind his messy copper fringe.
    â€œThat’s a bit harsh,” he mutters.
    â€œOkay, you want to know why we never go into the woods?”
    As much as I don’t like him right now he deserves to be warned.
    Josh’s eyes light up.
    â€œI want to know why
you
never go,” he corrects me. “Helena said her brother and his mates hang out there
all the time
.”
    Honestly! He is so annoying.
    I can’t be bothered to point out that Helena’s brother stays on the edge of the woods. Instead I take a deep breath.
    â€œA couple of hundred years ago an old woman was thrown out of her village because people thought she was a witch. In the middle of the woods is an old quarry. The woman moved into the caves and tunnels of the quarry. She slept through the day and roamed the woods at night. People said she cursed anyone who came near the quarry.”

    Illustration 1: An haggard, witch-like old woman, peering out of a dark cave/quarry in a densely wooded area. Clothes should be very old-fashioned and tatty (circa 1800).
    I stop, unable to say the next