they made fun of Starla. Iâll ask her to hold my hand on recess when I get back.
A lot of the trees on this side of the ravine are dead. They look black compared to the others. Some have fallen down and I have to climb over them. Itâs quieter too. I donât hear the weird sounds anymore.
Thereâs no shack that I can see. What if Jeff and Timmy are lying? What if Mr. Cressup doesnât have a shack? Iâm worried recess might be over and donât think I should keep going. I decide Iâll just say I touched the shack even though I didnât.
I turn around and start to run. The ground flies past me so fast once I get moving, I canât keep my eyes on it; I have to slow down so I donât trip and fall. I fell down in the woods once and it hurt. I had bits of twigs and dirt in a cut and my mom had to wash it out. I cried a little, but that was last summer.
The leaves sound like paper under my feet, and I imagine someoneâs chasing me. I know itâs my mind playing tricks, but I always feel like someoneâs chasing me when Iâm running and scared at the same time. Maybe Starla will hear me coming.
The ravine isnât too far ahead. I get to the edge but Starla isnât on the other side. âStarla!â I yell. She doesnât answer. Iâm not sure Iâm at the spot where I left her.
With one hand out, I try to slide down the side of the ravine. My foot slips in some loose gravel and I scrape my knee trying to slow down. At the bottom, I look down to find my jeans are torn and my skin is bloody. Then I climb the other side as fast as I can.
At the top, my heart is echoing inside me when I think Starla has gone back without me. Iâm going to be in big trouble. Why would she leave me here? I run a little ways in each direction, and then head into the woods.
Thereâs a sick feeling in my stomach and my throat feels like thereâs a wad of paper stuck in it. The woods are getting brighter when I hear the echo of my name up ahead.
âCulver! Culver Crisp!â Itâs one of the recess monitors.
Iâm in for it now. I cringe as I run into the clearing. One of the monitors is standing with her hands on her hips.
âWhat were you doing back there, Culver?â
âNuthin,â I say.
âDid Starla Jenkins go with you?â The monitor says this like she doesnât know where Starla is.
With my head down, I say, âYeah.â
âIs she still out there?â the monitor asks.
âNo, I mean, I thought she already came back.â The wad of paper in my throat is now a rock.
âWe already blew the whistle and everyoneâs lined up,â the monitor says as she looks down at me. âYou two were the only ones missing, but Starla hasnât come back yet.â
Travelers
January 10th, 1999
August Burroughs traveling through the Upper Territory
Halfacre and I walk for an hour or so before itâs clear weâre not the only ones in the woods. The rustling from either side of the narrow path is a giveaway for whoeverâs watching us.
I ignore the whispers and the grubby faces poking out of the brush here and there. An arm or leg appears as our watchers get braver, but they draw back before I can catch them.
Halfacre is attentive, darting his head back and forth when he senses something, but stays at my side as we push through the fog. Iâm banking on his size being a threat.
My coordination is better, but Iâm still âoff.â This is a distraction on top of not knowing where Iâm going. The path isnât marked and I donât know how big the grounds are. The fog doesnât help, either.
I set a good pace in hopes weâll find a main trail sooner rather than laterâor maybe catch a ranger on his rounds. Iâm still sticking to my guns that this is all some mix-up and I dreamt the last day or two.
All the crazy talk from the man at the cottage sticks with me as
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley